On Wednesday, the Indian Embassy in Turkey made deliberate attempts to publicly showcase the bond between India and Greece when External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias to discuss the current global situation on the sidelines of the European Union Ministerial Forum. Jaishankar shared an image of insightful conversation between the duo and said that it was great to talk to Dendias. “Great to catch up with my friend FM Nikos Dendias of Greece. An insightful conversation on the current global situation.
🇮🇳🤝🇬🇷 https://t.co/jP2814S0Gg
— India in Turkey (@IndianEmbassyTR) February 22, 2022
Netizens were amused at tweet by Indian Embassy in Turkey as they mocked the strategic relations between Turkey and Greece. One of the users stated that the the tweet said a lot more than just three emojis. He also comically tweeted that he thought the tweet was made by S Jaishankar himself to deliberately highlight the intense situation between Turkey and Greece.
ऐसा लगता है ये हैंडल जयशंकर साब खुद चलाते।
— कंसलटेंट डिटेक्टिव ☭ (@36gadhiyaBabu) February 22, 2022
😄
Another one saluted the Indian Embassy in Turkey for trolling the relations between India and Greece. “Admin, you are a legend, the king, the one and only true emperor of the Internet land. I give you my full respect and honors”, the tweet read.
Mr. Admin, sir, you are a legend, the king, the one and only true emperor of the Internet land. I give you my full respect and honours.
— Gaurav (@gaurrrav) February 22, 2022
Further, one of the users highlighting India and Greece’ friendship, said that it was time to join the fight together against the injustice and oppression created from states like Pakistan and Turkey.
Lets join the fight together against the injustice and oppression created from states like pakistan and turkey.
— DeadPoetSoc1ety (@DeadPoetSoc1ety) February 22, 2022
India 🇮🇳- 🇬🇷 Greek 🤝friendship
Greece and Turkey’s love-hate relationship
It is important to note that relations between Greece and Turkey have been tense over the past few decades. There are many disputes between the two since Greece won its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1830. The two countries have faced each other in four major wars including the First World War and also have shared a decade of positive relations during 1940s. Greece and Turkey are also allies due to their NATO membership and have fought side by side in Korea, Afghanistan, Libya and took part in some other NATO operations.
Following the differences on many historical, cultural, geopolitical, maritime, political and security issues, as of 2022, military tensions have risen again between the two due to conflicts over maritime zones in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean.
According to the reports, the strategically positive relations between India and Greece are bad news for Turkey in the backdrop of Turkey’s territorial claims in the Mediterranean region. Last year in June, India and Greece had also discussed the treat to nation’s integrity as Turkey support to radical groups and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue. The issues of principle of territorial integrity and rise of extremism were part of agenda, EAM S Jaishankar had maintained then.
This is after Anadolu Agency, a state-run news agency of Turkey had published a report alleging that India had issued over 3.4 million fake domicile certificates to change the demographics of Kashmir. The Indian Embassy in Turkey had then refuted the claims and said that the agency was falling prey to Pakistani propoganda. “AA is falling prey to Pakistani Propaganda. Journalistic ethics demand that they should check the basis of issuing of Domicile certificate by the Indian Govt and report that too. Not just become the propaganda mouthpiece of a third country”, it had said.
Prior to that, Turkey had also commented on India’s move to abrogate Article 370 from the state of Jammu and Kashmir. “India has further complicated the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and not served peace and stability in the region”, it had said. India had then slammed the government of Turkey to interfere in India’s internal matters and had called its statement factually incorrect and unwarranted.
EAM S Jaishankar on Tuesday, while on the sidelines of the European Union Ministerial Forum also met his Singaporean counterpart. He while in the diplomatic talks with France maintained that France was among the first country to recognize the strategic geography of the Indo Pacific region and ensured enhanced economic cooperation between the countries.
