As a photographer I am a firm believer of the saying “one photo is better that thousand words”.
The above is a photo from the official web page of Greek Naval Forces. Please mind that the photo is only in the Greek part of the web site and cannot be found on the English part. The photo shows the Turkish frigate F-497 TCG Göksu, taken from the periscope of a Greek submarine. The original photo can be found at the “Shots” section of the Photo Gallery of Greek Navy.
I assume that the photo was made during or after an international exercise where the Turkish frigate and the Greek submarine took part.
My assumption is based on the following points:
- The Turkish frigate is not moving and transferring crew to a small boat.
- The angle of the photo indicates that the submarine was on the surface and the periscope was raised as the photo does not look up to the Turkish ship if the submarine would be submerged and the periscope would be just above the sea level. Thus the Greek submarine was visible to the Turkish ship.
All this points show that the photo was made during a relaxed time and not when the two adversaries were playing cat and mouse, but this should not fool us.
Such periscope shots are sought after prices in naval community as they show how close the target was to be shot at by the submarine; such photos prove that the submarine has caught its enemy with its pants down.
But why on earth would a naval force of a nation puts a picture of an other nations warship taken through the periscope of a submarine? If they are not declaring their ill intent and their hatred towards the other nation what would be their message? Or does the Greek Naval Forces want to justify their existence by implying that they can shot other nations warships?
What this photo conveys us is clear and unmistakable aggression and open hostility. And nothing else.
The end of December is a time of the year when we all hope and prey for a better future. So when you go where ever you go to prey for a better future and peace on earth please do a little harder this time, as there are many who do not want peace at all.
devrimyaylali.com 
Χρόνια σας Πολλά και Καλά απο όλους τους Έλληνες!
Ειρήνη στους λαούς μας, πραγματική όμως !
Ας χτίσουμε γέφυρες πραγματικής φιλίας και ας αφήσουμε τα μίση στην άκρη !
Τόσα χρόνια …”χορτάσαμε” αίμα, νεκρούς,καταστροφές!
Ειρήνη και Υγεία στους λαούς μας !
φίλε, Cem Devrim Yaylalı , i wish you Merry christmas and a happy new year !
keep your wishes because is just a waste of time
It’s just amazing how low greeks can be.
Dear Devrim, don’t be so alarmed. Sometimes a less obvious explanation (such as mistake) is the right one. The important think is to be corrected when spotted.
Many wishes for happy holidays and a peaceful and reasonable new year.
A Greek friend
You got the wrong message my friend………
Wish you a happy New Year full of health, luck and prosperity.
Hellenic Submariner
Mr Devrim,
I want to know your opinion about the interview of ex prime minister of Turkey, Mesut Yilmaz in Birgün newspaper two days ago, who told that in the period of 1995-1997 Turkish undercover agents acts in Greece and burn our forests. If this photo “is clear and unmistakable aggression and open hostility” to you, the action of undercover agents in foreign ground doing criminal actions and killing inoccent people as a result of fires, what does it mean to you? An act of good friendship? In my country an old motto says “sto spiti toy kremasmenoy den milane gia skini” which means that “in hanged man houses do not talk about rope”.So if you call yourseslf a photographer, I recommend you to stay in the artistic view of the photo and leave the irrelevant comments to someone more appropiate beacause it is easy to electrify the relations of two countries.If you really wish friendship between Greece and Turkey, you dont write that kind of articles or articles with subject like “Beware Of Greeks Bearing Gifts” .
I did not read the interview you have mentioned but I can say that I have never liked and supported his politics and voted for him.
@ orko_8,
I have always preferred this one, the angles are better.
[img[http://strategyreports.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/parathr.jpg[/img]
Greek friends, If you read the article it says the act is retaliation. So one of the top persons in the government in that time says Turkey was retaliating for forest fires. If you wouldn’t burn first, you wouldn’t get burned.
retaliation for what. Every time when someone wants to do a dirty job, founds a key word, that matches to government propaganda. Do you believe in retaliation? Just try to find what did Greece in order to retaliate for.
Don’t believe, the propaganda.
Unfortunately soon you will understand the meanings of what I m saying. Soon very Soon.
Mr Devrim we are two nations with defferent religion but common origin,for the biggest percentage of Turkish population but our relation are no good,do you know why?
Because the states such USA or England,France,Germany and Italy do not want unified state of Greece and Turkey and our politician play their game very well.
These countries canot cancel our origin but they can to define our defferent religion and keep our enmity..
Their second profit is the big investments in the army,of these two countries and our politician say we invested a lot money for army so there are not ammounts for education and social treatment.
I am pessimism for our future and our youth.
Turkish friend of the peace .The true dodent need moderation
Mr Devrim get fuck .The good Turk is the dead one
FOR THE FOREST FIRES:
Both Greeks and Turks who live close to the forest fire regions (Rhodes, Marmaris and other places in Turkey and Greece) know who arsoned their forests. Greeks arsoned Turkish forests and Turks arsoned Greek forests. It is a well known fact in these regions of Greece and Turkey. Mesut Yilmaz tells that Turkey retaliated Greece (which means Greece did it first). Well everybody accuses the other for spilling the first blood BUT in my opinion Greece and Turkey both are as guilty as each other. HOWEVER, we “all” must accept our guilt and expose the natural disasters we have unleashed. It would be hypocricy if we neglect own mistakes and expose the other sides.
FOR THE BEWARE OF GREEKS WITH GIFTS AND THIS SUBMARINE PERISCOPE PICTURE:
Our Hellenic visitors have some point, “beware of Greeks bearing gifts” is a deregatory term. He could have been careful, but is Mr. Yaylali a Turkish official? And he is alone, even if he makes mistakes only his followers can warn him.
But when we come to the Hellenic “Official” Website which represents Hellenic nation and her Navy, it is different. First, as I have told you in the previous sentence, the website represents Hellenic nation and her Navy. Second, even if there is a mistake, someone could have corrected it.
Now if you ask me, if I am as disturbed as Mr. Yaylali. NO, for one I do not consider Hellenic Navy can pose a serious threat since 7 of her Type 1200 Submarines are going to be decomissioned and all 4 of her Type 214s have serious flaws. I believe the picture is displayed as a joke; HOWEVER, the only thing it can be is a very bad hoax.
There are some new generation websites/magazines like Turkishnavy.net and Fox2. These websites are not filled with meaningless Greko-Turkish rivalries. Both Turkey and Greece can only be friends with each other, they can not conquer any square inches from each other by brute force. Both Greek and Turkish officers are aware of that. Sometimes I believe they tend to make jokes but all they do is undermining themselves with these hoaxes.
Before leaving, I must tell that IN MY OPINION, the most important debate mentioned here is not this periscope picture, but the ARSONING of Greek and TURKISH forests. When investigating this issue, if we neglect our guilt and expose the other side’s, we’ ll be just hypocrates.
It seems Greek Navy accepts Devrim’s views and agrees with him. Because the above photo has been removed official web site: http://www.hellenicnavy.gr/index.php/el/polumesa/2011-05-17-08-15-21/category/12-%CE%92%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%AD%CF%82.html
The picture is no longer posted in the official Greek navy web site. Do you still think that it was an “enemy act”? Let’s get serious and deal with important things!