- The plans are thought to focus on maintaining military capabilities in the area
- They were leaked when accidentally submitted as part of some court filings
- News of the leaked documents come amid rising tensions between the countries
- Greece and Turkey have been enemies for a long time with a history of wars
Turkey developed a plan to invade Greece during the height of the war in Syria, according to leaked documents. The documents also included plans to invade Armenia.
The plans that were drawn up were named after an 11th century Turkish military commander, according to Nordic Monitor, who have seen the documents.
The documents were reportedly part of a PowerPoint presentation that was set to be given by the Turkish General Staff – who preside over the Armed Forces in Turkey – for internal planning review.
Greece and Turkey are old enemies and have a long history of violence, fighting a number of wars against one-another, particularly in the early 1900s.
The plans are believed to have centred around maintaining offensive and deterrence capabilities on the western front, while moving troops during the war in Syria.
Anti-Greek rhetoric has been growing in Ankara as the Erdoğan reigeme looks to bolster its influence in the area, as fears of a military confrontation between the two NATO allies are escalating.
Titled 'TSK Çakabey Harekât Planlama Direktifi' – TSK (Turkish Armed Forces) Çakabey Operation Planning Directive – the presentation was dated June 13, 2014 at the height of the Syrian civil war that started in 2011 as part of the Arab Spring.
The Nordic Monitor reported that this suggests that the plan was likely an updated version and finalised after a review of an earlier draft, and that the plan could still be active.
The documents also included a plan to invade Armenia called 'TSK Altay Harekât Planlama Direktifi,' dated August 15 2000.
The Monitor reported that the documents were exchanged on a secure email system by top General Staff, and that they appear to have been leaked accidentally in a court case file that was submitted as part of probes into the failed military coup against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in July 2016.
Prosecutor Serdar Coşkun – said to be a Erdoğan loyalist – submitted the files as part of the investigation, and was required to hand over all emails from the General Staff from the two months preceding the coup attempted to prosecutors.
Upon realising their potential mistake, the General Staff reportedly panicked, asking the court to allow them to screen the documents before being presented. According to The Monitor, prosecutors ignored these concerns.
However, while the plans were named in the documents, further specific details were not included. This is likely due to their classified nature, and therefore not shared through the private network.
The plans are believed to have been contingencies around developments in Syria with the aim of maintaining offensive and deterrence capabilities on the western front, while moving troops, The Monitor reported.
More recently the two countries have fought over Cyprus in the 1970s and came close to military hostilities during the Aegean dispute in 1987 and 1996 which has strongly affected the relations between Greece and Turkey since.
They share a border in the east of Greece and the west of Turkey, but also the Aegean sea.
Turkey also shares a border with Armenia in the east, on the opposite side of the country to Greece. Armenia and Turkey also have a history of hostility, and official relations are non-existent.
The inspiration for the name comes from Çaka Bey, better known as Chaka Bey and Tzachas, who was originally a commander under the Byzantine Empire, before he rebelled and began conquering land.
He is a much revered figure in Turkey, and is even seen as the founder of the first modern Turkish navy.
Anti-Greek rhetoric has become more robust in Turkey under the Erdoğan regime, with some maintaining that Greek islands – including Crete, Rhodes and Lesbos – belong to Turkey, that has increased demands that Greece demilitarises these islands.
The history of conflict between Greece and Turkey can be traced back hundreds of years, but in the modern era it began when Greece won independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1821.
This led to years of tensions, and since Greece won its independence, four major wars have been fought between the two nations.
In 1897 there was the Greco-Turkish war, then the First Balkan War of 1912 to 1913 saw them clash again.
During the First World War between 1914 and 1918 the two also fought on opposing sides, and finally a second Greco-Turkish War, running from 1919 to 1922.
The pair enjoyed relatively friendly relations in the 1930s and 1940s following the Greco-Turkish population exchange of 1923.
In 1952, both countries joined NATO, but relations deteriorated again in the 1950s due to Cyprus, the 1955 Istanbul pogrom and the expulsion of Istanbul Greeks in the 1960s.
In 1974, Turkey invaded Cyprus and 1996 saw the Imia/Kardak military crisis lead to wider military confrontations during the Aegean dispute.
A period of relative calm came after 1999 after Greece changed its stance of Turkey joining the European Union, although the country is yet to achieve this.
Since the Erdoğan regime has come into power, tensions have once again begun to rise between the two nations.