If Turkey has actually started drilling in Cyprus’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) as it claims, then of course it has jeopardized peace and stability in the region.

The question today is how Greece and Cyprus should react to this audacious challenge by Turkey.

Will the response be confined to a diplomatic campaign towards friendly European countries and a referral of the issue to the UN Security Council?

Will the Greek Foreign Minister use his trip to New York this week to attend Archbishop Elpidophoros’ enthronement as a pretext to go to Washington, where the only lever of pressure on Turkey is to be found?

Will Greece decide to use a mix of diplomacy and a show of military force?

It is historically proven that a country, in this case Greece, in order to avoid the worst, has no choice but to follow the second path, that of diplomacy combined with military power.

A sign of weakness in the face of Erdogan’s provocations will sooner or later, almost certainly, lead to a conflict.

The situation is complicated by the fact that Greece will hold elections in three weeks. The Turks must have this in mind, along with the fact that United States and the rest the world are focused on potentially catastrophic conflicts in the Persian Gulf and China.
Of course, until the elections, the Tsipras government is responsible for Greece’s security.

Therefore, no one will say it lacks legitimacy if it is forced to react.

However, based on our experience so far with the Tsipras government, we have to ask whether it will somehow try to take advantage of Erdogan’s recklessness to advance their partisan interests, namely in order to boost their popularity with the Greek people.
This temptation is not be far from the thoughts of the Prime Minister’s advisers.

Yesterday, Mr. Tsipras, who, according to all the polls, lags far behind Mr. Mitsotakis, canceled his campaigning and convened the Governmental Council for Foreign Affairs and National Defense (KYSEA) to examine the situation.

Is this an exercise in political expediency? Did Mr. Tsipras want to dramatize the situation even further by suspending his campaign and convening KYSEA on a Sunday afternoon of a long weekend?

Maybe not. But this period is so delicate that it is difficult to say with certainty.

In any case, the time period chosen by Erdogan to carry out this invasion – because that’s what it means to enter and drill in another country’s EEZ – is politically difficult for Greece.

However, in this difficult time, it must be made known to Turkey that it will find Hellenism united and determined to protect the territorial integrity and honor of the nation with military force, if necessary.

We hope it will not be needed.