Setting the Record Straight

Day 3,720, 11:05 • Published in Greece Turkey • by Walpole

Dear friends in eGreece,

Greetings from eTurkey.

I think you can easily guess what the topic of this article will be. Before beginning, I just want to underline that I am an ordinary eTr citizen and journalist, who feel quite crossed about the recent article about "neutrality" published by your government.

https://www.erepublik.com/en/article/-day-3718--2662592/1/20

I don't speak Greek. I used Google Translate to decipher the content of the article.

I wish I did not; It was something worse than I could ever imagine.

Don't presume that I feel betrayed because you are on the path of changing your diplomatic alignment. eGreece like any other country is sovereign; determining its foreign policy and deciding its preferred alliance is absolutely your right and privilege, regardless of how ridiculous and ill-thought, ill-prepared it is.

I am particularly crossed about paragraphs about eTr, planted into that government article, apparently in order to legitimize Greek government's absurd move.

Things written in that article about eTr is not misinformation, it is disinformation, as the author of the article being a government member clearly knows what he wrote were flagrant lies.

1- Trilateral NAP for the duration of 3 months among Greece-Fyrom-Bulgaria came into effect in October 9th, 2017. Was Turkey notified about it? Nope. Did Greek government of the time make any effort to bring Turkey into treaty? Nope. Can we describe it as a "Greek foul" against Turkey? To me, nope. I don't know how the current Greek government replies to that question.

Following your trilateral NAP, Turkey was invaded by Bulgaria and Poland. None of us in eTurkey thought we should blame Greeks for it. Because it would be ridiculous, wouldn't it?

2- When we come to January 2018, trilateral NAP among Greece-Fyrom-Bulgaria was about to expire. And Turkey was doing pretty well in the war against Bulgaria.

The idea of a quadrilateral NAP agreement among Greece-Fyrom-Bulgaria-Turkey was coined by Turkish government, not by Greek one. And the Turkish reasoning for that was to use the diplomatic capital earned in eTr-eBg war to provide some extra protection to Greece, which was already trying to free herself from Romanian invasion.

3- As the Greek government's article confirms, both Fyrom and Bulgaria were quite cold to the idea of the quadrilateral NAP. Since I am not a government official, I cannot know exact chronology of the discussions. But, there is no need to be a fortune teller to guess, either they were planning to invade Turkey by a joint operation. Or, they were positioning themselves against Greece as the "Hungarian variable" was looming into Greek-Romanian "equation"

4- Greek government's article, after confirming both Fyromanians and Bulgarians were absolutely against the idea of quadrilateral NAP, somehow suggests there was a chance for it, claims Turkey blew it altogether by signing a bilateral NAP with Bulgaria.

I contacted Turkish CP, deliormanli, via PM and inquire about it. He says "Bilateral NAP was signed only after it was absolutely clear that there was no prospect of signing quadrilateral NAP". And Greek government knew it.

5- In Greek government's article, there was a reference to Greece's "brave attitude". I have been around in this game for 7 years; I have seen countless occasions that I witnessed Greece displayed the acts of heroism, bravery, principled attitude. That is why Greece was my favorite eCountry for years.

Yet, I am afraid the particular "brave attitude", the current Greek government brands, is not one of them.

We in eTurkey in past 2 months valiantly fought against our common enemies. Our principle aim was not about gaining some vain concept of glory, or keeping Bulgaria under occupation indefinitely. Our principle aim was to draw Assteria's fire power to ourselves and drain it; so our allies, including Greece, could free itself from invasion. We bled extensively in terms of resources, CC, EB, time and sleep for that aim.

And we hoped and waited for Greeks to get their act together, settle their differences among themselves, unify their country around a common purpose and cleanse their land from Romanian invaders. It did not happen.

In return of our sacrifices and good intentions, now we are being labeled as some sort of treasonous people, looking after only our own interests. And worse, we are being labeled as such by a Greek government.

That makes me quite sad.

Perhaps, I have written way too long. Alas, my articles are generally like so.
I just wanted to set the record straight and expressed my personal disappointment.

I actually wanted an article of this nature should be written by eTurkish government to set record straight. And I asked them to do so. They declined my demand, they don't want to take part any humiliating act against Greek government, because it might offend Greek people. Quite a selfish attitude from selfish Turkish government representing selfish Turkish people, I presume.

Before I finish, I just want to share a couplet from Mehmet Akif, Turkey's national poet died 1930s.

Girmeden tefrika bir millete, düşman giremez;
Toplu vurdukça yürekler, onu top sindiremez.

It translates:
Enemy cannot enter to a country before dissension enters among people;
Artillery fire cannot subdue a nation as long as people's hearts beat in sync.


I don't know the path in your future, or how easy or difficult the days or months you will experience, or whether we will be friends or enemies.

What I know is: seeing a great eCountry like eGreece in bitterly divided and mostly diysfunctinal state is sad.

Regardless of whether we will be friends or enemies, please, for God's sake, pull yourselves together, unite your people, politically eliminate those who retard such unification and manifest yourself as a glorious eCountry as you should.

Best,
Walpole

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