Greece and Turkey : the case study of an arms race from the Greek perspective
Part of : Σπουδαί : journal of economics and business ; Vol.41, No.1, 1991, pages 64-81
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64-81
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This study suggests that as the dominant East - West conflict subsides, local disputes and frictions centered around past and/or new national and ethnic quarrels will slowly come to dominate the international scene. One such dispute is that between Greece and Turkey.Using multiple regression analysis it tests whether the Richardson arms race model can help in explaining changes in Greek military expenditure in the context of her relation with her neighbour Turkey and the ongoing frictions between them. On the basis of the results obtained it is argued that because of its specifications the model can not capture the degree to which Greek military spending is influenced by the perceived threat to her national interests by Turkey. The model does not allow for the strategic environment and its dynamic changes which can influence the decisions of a given country and the principles on which such decisions are reached by military planners. Furthermore, the model does not adequately capture the degree of the perceived menace/threat to which countries are likely to react by adjusting accordingly not only the level but also the content of their defence spending. It is then shown that when appropriate variables are introduced it is possible to capture more fully the degree and way in which Greek military expenditure is influenced by the perceived Turkish threat to her national interests. Such variables have to allow for the strategic environment within which decisions are made by Greek military planners. In this case it was found that due to the substantial differences in size and the resulting quantitative military disadvantage, Greece attempts to offset this by gaining a qualitative advantage over her larger adversary.
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Περιέχει σημειώσεις, διαγράμματα, πίνακες και βιβλιογραφία
