Creator of Turkey’s ‘Blue Motherland’ theory slams Greece-France defence agreement

By George Gilson

The originator of the "Blue Motherland" theory, which claims for Turkey huge swathes of Greek maritime zones in the Aegean and the Mediterranean and their hydrocarbons deposits, has lambasted the recent Greece-France mutual defence pact.

Retired Admiral Cem Gurdeniz's theory was fully embraced by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as it dovetailed with his expansionist, neo-Ottoman geopolitical outlook, but that did not prevent Erdogan from having him detained for a week in April, 2021.

The practical application of the Blue Motherland theory is evident Turkey's ongoing military challenges toward Greece and Cyprus in the Mediterranean.

Falling out with Erdogan

Gurdeniz was among the 104 former admirals that co-signed a letter blasting the Turkish president for his intention to withdraw from the 1936 Montreux Convention - which establishes the international status of the Turkish Straits (Dardanelles) - and demanding that Erdogan not veer away from Kemalist secularism. The former top Navy officials had heightened concerns about Erdogan packing the armed forces with Islamists.

He was among the ten former admirals who were detained for having organised the declaration, which the government likened to Turkey's past military coups.

Though he fell into disfavour, Gurdeniz's theory lives on in Erdogan's rhetoric, and in an interview with Greek Open television he blasted France for siding with Greece in the defence of areas that Ankara considers part of the Blue Motherland.

He maintained that France is behaving like a bully toward Turkey whereas, as he said, it should be acting as a mediator.

'France bullying Turkey', no military solution

Regarding the mutual...