A former Major General has stated how India's ties with Greece, the archfoe of Turkey, and its presence in the Eastern Mediterranean can counter Ankara, which has been supplying weapons to Pakistan against India.
Major General (Rtd) G D Bakshi, a war veteran who served in the eastern theatre during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War, said in an interview with Greek website Directus that India could give Greece the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, which proved its mettle in the recent Indo-Pakistan clashes.
"We can sell you the Brahmos supersonic cruise missiles, which simply cannot be intercepted. They have worked so well. They have been battle-tested. We can also sell Akash surface-to-air missiles and the Pinaka missile launchers. We have developed eight tanks, which have been developed into an artillery system," General Bakshi said, adding that these systems could create serious problems for Turkey, if it ever decides to get involved in a conflict with Greece, Cyprus, or any other issue.
He added that India would want to "answer Turkey in kind" by helping Greece and Cyprus. "An eye for an eye. Turkey will pay for it. All the drones and weapons that Turkey has supplied, including two mobile command and control centres for air defence, were attacked by us. They were blown up by us at the Noor Khan air base. Turkey is now planning to give them surface-to-air missiles because the Chinese surface-to-air plans simply failed. They failed," he added.
The Major General, an analyst and author who specialises in military strategy, especially the India-Pakistan conflict, slammed said Turkey will have to pay a huge price for its involvement in the Kashmir issue and sale of drones to Pakistan.
General Bakshi said that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan dreams of reviving the Ottoman Empire. "He wants to become the Caliph of the entire Muslim world. Erdogan dreams of empires, greatness, and lost greatness. You know, the problem is that his country's economy is collapsing. He is facing political problems, domestically, and he is trying to project himself as the Caliph of the Muslim world! He wants to replace Saudi Arabia and become the epicentre of the Muslim world," Bakshi added.