Turkey Flexes Military Muscle in Maritime Feud With Greece
Turkey launched naval exercises off two Greek islands and announced energy exploration research in the same area, projecting its military might amid heightened territorial tussles in the eastern Mediterranean.
The two-day naval drill to the east and south of Rhodes and Kastellorizo signals that Ankara won’t accept any agreement or move that would limit its own maritime interests in the waters. The eastern Mediterranean has become an energy hot spot with big finds for European Union member Cyprus, Israel and Egypt in recent years, and Turkey’s push to secure a share of the resources has exacerbated strains.
The Turkish exercise was announced on Aug. 6 -- the same day Egypt and Greece signed an agreement laying out the maritime boundary between their exclusive economic zones. Turkey had earlier put exploration in the area on hold at the request of German Chancellor Angela Merkel to make it easier for her to mediate. Germany on Monday warned Ankara that unilateral action in territorial disputes with Greece could strain its ties with the EU.
“We’ve received Turkey’s decision to carry out further seismic probes in the eastern Mediterranean with concern,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Christofer Burger said at a news conference in Berlin, urging both Greece and Turkey to resume talks. “That’s the wrong signal. Unilateral steps don’t bring us forward a single bit. Moreover, Turkey further burdens its relationship with the EU.”
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