Russia taunts Turkey, reminds it of 'Battle of Navarino'

Moscow/Istanbul: – Russia has jumped into the fray, regarding the rights over the Mediterranean Sea, between Turkey and Greece. While the Turkish President is consistently threatening Greece, Russia has reminded Turkey of the ‘Battle of Navarino’. The Russian foreign ministry has said in a post, on the social media, that this war was the cause for Greek independence. Before the post, the Russian embassy in Greece, took an open stand that it is important that the ‘Law of the Sea’ must be followed in the Mediterranean Sea. The statement of the Russian embassy becomes important, given the Turkish opposition to implement the law.

The Russian foreign ministry tweeted ‘193 years ago, joint forces of Russia, Great Britain and France handed out a comprehensive defeat to the navies of the Ottoman Empire and Egypt. This victory proved to be an important factor leading to the independence of Greece.’ The tweet of the Russian foreign ministry is significant and is believed to be a suggestive warning for Turkey, over the issue of conflict with Greece.

On 20th October 1827, Russia, Great Britain and France comprehensively defeated the navies of the Ottoman Empire and Egypt, in the ‘Battle of Navarino’. The war which was fought in the ‘Ionian Sea’, Russia and its allies sank 60 ships of the Turkish and Egyptian navies. More than 3,000 sailors and soldiers were killed. This is considered to be the biggest Sailing Ships battle in history. After the war, the grip of the then Ottoman empire on Greece started loosening. The Ottoman Empire was forced to award independence to Greece, due to the subsequent Russo-Turkish war and the French attack.

The Russian relations with Turkey have been of a mixed type, over the last few years. Turkey, who buys weapons and oil from Russia, is opposing the Russian interests in Libya and Syria. Still, Russia has not stopped cooperating with Turkey on other issues. But the Turkish stand on the Armenia-Azerbaijan war could prove to be a test of patience for Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Russian analysts are warning that the Russian President may decide to oppose Turkey and its interests directly. Against this very background, it has also been revealed that turkey has taken an aggressive stand on the Ukraine and Crimea issue, considered to be extremely sensitive for President Putin. It is believed that this matter could trigger an open conflict between Russia and Turkey.

At such a time, the Russian foreign ministry reminding turkey of a two-decade-old war attracts attention. The United States and the European countries have already expressed intense displeasure over the Turkish stand regarding Greece. The European countries have openly indicated to stand with Greece in the conflict. Now Russia also has jumped into the fray and declared support to Greece. Therefore, now Turkey seems to have been caught in a tight corner, over the issue of the Mediterranean Sea.