Back to a crisis with Greece?

It appears that there are efforts to reactivate the Kardak (Imia) issue between Turkey and Greece… Will, like the 1996 case, the islets bring the two countries to the verge of war in 2017, 21 years later? 

The main opposition Republican People Party (CHP) was quick to condemn a tour around the islet by Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar and the force commanders as an effort to contribute to the "yes" campaign for the tentatively scheduled April referendum for a set of constitutional amendments that might usher in an era of super presidential governance in Turkey. Were they? Or were they trying to send a strong message to Athens, where the high court just poured cold water on Turkey's hopes of getting back eight soldiers who, onboard a military helicopter, fled the country to Greece immediately after the July 15, 2016, coup attempt failed.

It was whispered aloud in Ankara that the tour around the "symbolically important islets" was aimed at sending a strong message to "friends and foes" that Turkey has the land, air and naval strength to defend its rights from wherever threats might come from. Another message was apparently to remind Athens that being a friend of Turkey was in Greece's best interest. The third and yet also very important message was Ankara's preparedness to engage in peace in good faith as demonstrated at the Geneva talks and, if needed, in combat to defend even a small rock that belongs to Turks.

Was there a need to send such strong messages to Greece? It was not the first time Greece or any other Western democracy rejected Turkey's extradition request. Why was Turkey so infuriated this time? Was Turkey angered by the Greek government's explanation that it very much wanted to return the fugitive Turks but that the ...