The Eastern Mediterranean is an increasingly crowded space, both among refugees precarious crossing from Libya to Europe, the flow of arms and mercenaries in the opposite direction, and the new Marine hub of Russia to the Syrian port of Tartus. So if a Turkish waters seismic ship began conducting surveys in which Greece also supported the sovereignty, shaded by Turkish warships, they added another dangerous element into the mix. Since there in mid-August, the drill program Turkey has begun and the gunboat diplomacy that followed contributed to a situation so volatile German warned Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Tuesday: “could bring any little spark to disaster “and ‘Turkey has prompted new live-fire military drills to announce the northern coast of Cyprus next week will take place, with rival Greek naval exercises with France, Cyprus and Italy intends. The dispute has divided E.U. on how to handle Turkey’s leaders and were as far away as Egypt and the United Arab Emirates pulled. In a week in which Erdogan “no concessions to what we” do and Greece announced that it would extend its maritime area of some of its islands have no connection with the dispute, the escalating tensions just decided. Here’s what to know about beer in the Mediterranean problems: Because the tensions between Turkey and Greece now flaring up? On the surface this is a dispute of energy. Turkey and Greece have overlapping claims areas of gas-rich waters in the eastern Mediterranean. Greece’s position is that each of its islands and there are thousands of them has the right to its continental shelf with exclusive drilling rights. The European Union. firmly behind Greece and in July last year sanctioned Turkey to carry out the visits earthquake off the coast of Northern Cyprus it was. It has repeatedly warned against Turkey conducting further exploration. But Turkey says is unfair interpretation of international law, which assumes its own exclusive economic zone without reason. In recent months, Turkey and Greece have their own territorial claims to strengthen sought through exclusive maritime economic zones with Libya and Egypt are working. In addition, the immediate concerns territorial, the dispute moves historical grievances and modern military strategy. These include the state in the Cyprus conflict, the wars in Libya and Syria and the power struggle going on in the region Wanes US influence. As the Greece-Turkey relations worsened in recent years? the greek-Turkish hostilities already well beyond the founding of the Turkish Republic. It covers the daily worries, such as baklava dessert origins by serious disagreements about historical atrocities. But in the second half of the decade, the heaviest fighting has been concentrated on Cyprus. Turkish invasion of the island in 1974, triggered by a greek supported military coup led to the Turkish troops occupied the northern part of the island and an exodus of greek Cypriots from the area. In 1983, a political turkish Cypriots declared a breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), recognized only by Turkey. The Republic of Cyprus entered E.U. in 2004, despite the division it was. Tensions between Greece and Turkey each boiled since then, and in 1996 the two countries came close to war over two uninhabited islands in the Aegean Sea, near the west coast of Turkey. Cyprus has been unresolved in the eastern Mediterranean controversy because Turkey offered no sign Cyprus continues illegal energy consumption unless the TRNC is also involved. Greece, for its part, supports the exploration of the Turkish gas near Cyprus illegally. What other factors deteriorate relations? One of them is the flow of migrants from the Middle East to Europe. Turkey is home to about 4 million migrants and refugees as part of a deal with 2016 E.U. In February, Erdogan did only good to cross on a threat to long-awaited “open doors” so that tens of thousands of asylum seekers in Greece. ATHENS response uncompromising including violence against asylum seekers with-drew criticism from human rights groups. Meanwhile, the E.U. Turkey has accused with migrants as a negotiating tool. Relations soured further in July on a mosque conversion of Istanbul Hagia Sophia. The revived an age-old dispute over one of the most controversial religious building in the world and annoyed Russia and Greece, the center of Orthodox Christianity. On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias Greece Erdogan accused a strategy of “neo-Ottoman” in the eastern Mediterranean as part of one of Forten “trying to implement the expansionist goals against neighbors and allies.” This is an accusation often leveled at the turkish leader, the critic as a “modern sultan”. But muscle Turkey closer to the disputed waters has the support of both parties. Turkish opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) support the entry for the Mediterranean drilling program. Ensuring lucrative energy resources in a very popular region in the social support of Turkey, experts say increasingly isolated situated place. “Erdogan’s adventures in the Eastern Mediterranean probably more the support of all its other regional adventure,” said Emile Hokayem, the security expert of the Middle East at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. What other countries are involved? There is a long, complicated by Turkey and European countries involvement in the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. In November last year, Turkey signed a maritime line with the government supported by the United Nations in Libya, the Turkish drilling in the eastern Mediterranean would allow expanded. Although it is not recognized by Washington or E.U. that by intervening in Turkey civil conflict against Warlord Khalifa Haftar, agreements have brought from Russia militarily in Libya. As in the northwest of Syria, Russia and Turkey have emerged as the mind of the action in Libya. But it is not only Russia who returns Haftar in Libya. France, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt each have their military and financial support for his self-proclaimed Libyan National Army; and they are all engaged in the dispute Mediterranean Sea. French President Emmanuel Macron-Turkey incursion Libya “criminal” shortly -earlier labeled in August sent two Rafale fighter jets and a Navy frigate to support Greece. France, along with Greece and Cyprus, took a hard line against Turkey, favored than the conciliatory approach E.U. Nations such as Germany, Spain and Italy. Meanwhile, earlier in Egypt in August signed an agreement with Greece regarding the development of a common maritime economic zone that Turkey claims are “zero.” Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has threatened to intervene militarily in Libya against Turkey. The UEA has warplanes explained attend US-made F16 in LIBYA presumably four last week in Crete sent in military exercises with Greek. “The contrasting positions of the UAE and Turkey in the Middle East and North Africa have paid discomfort Eastern Mediterranean as the UAE Shipping visible jet fighter,” says Nigar Goksel Turkey Project of the International Crisis Group based in Brussels. What is the position of Russia in the crisis? Russia has yet to make a public statement to the Greece-Turkey tensions, but is deeply rooted in both the Eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea, where Erdogan was recently given the discovery of Turkey’s largest known gas. The top admiral warned last year the US Navy in Europe that Moscow is about the eastern Mediterranean, become one of the militarized zones in the world, partly as a result of the construction of a naval hub in the Syrian port of Tartus. Greek media reported this week that the Russian Navy has collected nine military ships between Cyprus and Syria, including three submarines. And what he said the United States? In phone calls on Wednesday US President Trump expressed concern to his Greek and Turkish counterparts about increasing tensions, calling on the two NATO members to commit to dialogue, according to a White House spokesman. However, even if it arrived on the Greek island of Crete recently USS Hershel Woody Williams, the White House Germany has largely left to mediate the crisis. “The United States is not happy to be pulled in Mediterranean policy. You have enough on your plate trying to prevent Russia and China,” says the IISS Hokayem. “But the reality is that to be if the US turns to some of the problems by deciding not involved in its management, in reality things are deteriorating, and can be extracted in the United States in exchange.” If the voltage is likely to be in place to pay? And ‘ever more plausible if not likely. War between the two members of NATO in the Mediterranean would be a disaster, and both sides expressed their desire for negotiations. But as brinkmanship, it increases the chance of taking inadvertent escalation. “We invite our colleagues smart and avoid mistakes that will lead to its destruction,” Erdogan said on Wednesday. “Those who want to go to the expense of paying a price, they are welcome. If not, should discourage the way.” There is little voices moderation. Like Turkey E.U. Prospects for the membership dwindled, it became increasingly difficult for the more dovish politicians in Ankara incentives highlight compromise, ICG says Goksel. “The EU no carrots. They have to be offered in Turkey, would put aside nationalist sentiments,” he says, think Ankara sincere negotiations strategic thinkers want, but do not think they could get when they create chaos. ‘ Copyright by the Ministry of National Defense-Anadolu Agency / Getty Images
How Dangerous Standoff Mediterranean Greece and Turkey?
