Security Dilemma As Applied To Greece And Turkey
Security Dilemma As Applied To Greece And Turkey
The political concept of the security dilemma can be characterized as, fear of an external enemy or external attack. The problem stems from the fact that there are no purely defensive weapons, and countries that strive solely to defend them selves consequently transform into offensive threats. Therefore, countries striving to attain security from outside threats are driven to stockpile weapons to gain security, this makes other neighbors insecure, and thus the cycle begins again. This vicious cycle of extreme military excessiveness is notably hard to break. Once a country in question has begun to increase its military arsenal, its neighbors logically will do the same not to be left vulnerable. This sequence repeats itself continually until a determining event such, as a war or peace, which will put it to rest. The security dilemma is the breeding ground for many volatile situations to arise. The "upping the ante" of the military status increases tensions and paranoia in the region(s) in question, allowing costly confrontations to manifest.
The countries of Greece and Turkey have a bloody hatred for each other that goes back thousands of years. The Turks ultimately defeated Greece, the treasure of the ancient world, in 1453 with the fall of Constantinople and the Byzantines. Emperor Constantine I, ruler of the Byzantine Empire, was the former ruler of the Greek city-state of Sparta who inherited the Eastern Roman Empire. He strived to expand Greek culture and influence via his Byzantine Empire, and was extremely successful. The gem of the empire was the capital city of Constantinople that was named for the great ruler. Constantinople was at the crossroads of the known world. It was arguably one of the most important and wealthy cities in history and in its time. With the barbarian invasion of the Turks in 1453, Constantinople was sacked and ultimately the great Byzantine and Greek Empires were defeated. This plunged the Greeks into an unimaginable four hundred years of slavery under the Turks.
Under these four hundred years of occupation and slavery, untold numbers of atrocities were perpetrated upon the Greeks. The Turks were notorious for their treatment of the Greeks. These actions of the Turks left a bitter sentiment in the region, and solidified the Greek spirit for freedom. The Greeks finally...