Turkey’s military capabilities in the Aegean are the subject of an extensive report by Turkish pro-government daily newspaper Yeni Safak on Friday.

The paper quotes Turkish military experts who say that the country has the capability to strike with missiles beyond Athens, in the event of a Greek-Turkish war.

Defense Policy Analyst Turan Oguz is quoted as saying that Turkey has the potential to hit Greek targets on the Aegean islands – and even downtown Athens – with its SOM and BORA missiles, “without a single casualty on the Turkish side”.

Such a reaction is Turkey’s choice to “punish” Greece if it “hurts” Turkey’s interests. If this plan does not work, then Turkey will go to war scenarios…

The paper says that Greece cannot win a war with Turkey by itself, and that what it calls “provocative statements” from Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras should be seen in the context of the general election campaign.

The “SOM” cruise missile is a next-generation high precision cruise missile which can be launched from land, sea and air platforms. It was developed by TÜBİTAK SAGE, the Defense Research and Development Institute of Turkey.

The weapon was first revealed during the 100th anniversary celebrations of the Turkish Air Force at Çiğli Air Base in İzmir, on June 4, 2011.

In development since 2006, the SOM cruise missile is Turkey’s first domestic guided missile designed to destroying both stationary and moving targets at a stand-off distance of over 180 kilometers (112 miles). It is thought that Turkey is further developing the system to be operational for longer ranges.

The “Bora” is a tactical ballistic missile developed by the Turkish company ROKETSAN with technological assistance from China.

It was tested and entered service in May of 2017. The “Bora-2” version, with a longer range, is also currently under development.

Source: greekreporter