German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency and has been mediating between Ankara and Athens, will fly to Cyprus and Greece for talks on Tuesday. Share The Greeks brought their fleet to combat positions, and the Turks sent military aircraft to the zone of the growing conflict. We are not going to allow Greece to extend its territorial waters from six to 12 miles. Get the latest news and developments on Greece-Turkey state affairs. He said: “Do Greek and French people accept what can happen to them because of their greedy and incompetent leaders? By Steven Brown PUBLISHED: 08:14, Tue, Sep 1, 2020 Conflict between Greece and Turkey escalates in the Mediterranean Sea. ... Get the latest and actual news from NEWS FRONT NEWS FRONT. The Treaty of Lausanne 1923 marked the end of the Ottoman Empire. Meanwhile, France said Turkey should refrain from new provocations and show good faith. He tweeted: “I follow with concern the tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean area and I appeal for constructive dialogue and respect for international law to resolve the conflicts that threaten the peace of the peoples of that region.”. order back issues and use the historic Daily Express For example, Israel, Cyprus, Greece and Italy are planning a pipeline called EastMed to carry gas to European consumers, but Turkey’s more recent … “It would set back efforts to reduce tensions in the eastern Mediterranean and it most certainly would be anything but conducive to the continued development of EU-Turkish relations.”, Seibert reiterated Germany’s insistence that “it is important and necessary for all involved to make an effort to prevent escalations and to resolve their differences in the eastern Mediterranean – including the differences on maritime law – as quickly as possible, in dialogue and on the basis of international law.”, US service workers brace for another MAGA rally in Washington, DC, Declare ‘state of climate emergency’, UN boss urges world leaders, Iranian journalist’s execution ‘shocking’ and ‘shameful’, UK navy on standby to protect fishing in case of no-deal Brexit, Secretive Switzerland-China immigration deal fuels concern, The wealthy Nigerians buying citizenship overseas, Iran protests to Turkey over ‘meddling’ poem recited by Erdogan, Exclusive: Video evidence shows Egyptians monitored Giulio Regeni, Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights. “I firmly believe that there is no obstacle in the steps of Turkey with the help of Allah.”. After the drillship was escorted by gunboats to begin its seismic research, Athens called for Turkey to stop the "illegal activities". Turkey is threatening to send a drilling ship to waters claimed – and defended – by Greece. In July Mr Macron called for EU sanctions against Turkey claiming they violated Greek and Cypriot sovereignty over their territorial waters. See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, The last war in 1921 resulted in the ethnic cleansing of almost two million Hellenes from Turkey and 500,000 Turkish Greeks from Greece. German efforts to bring about an agreement between Greece and Turkey failed earlier in July. Tensions came to a head this summer when each side made overlapping claims to swaths of the eastern Mediterranean, and Turkey dispatched the Oruc Reis to map out possible oil and gas drilling prospects, infuriating Greece. It added Ankara was “the foremost factor of instability” in the region “from Libya to the Aegean and Cyprus, Syria, Iraq and now Nagorno-Karabakh”. 12.08.2020 11:26 . Turkey paused seismic surveys for gas in the disputed area while negotiations were ongoing. Greek-Turkish relations hit a new low on July 21, when Turkey’s Erdogan regime announced its decision to send a seismic exploration ship near the Greek island of Kastellorizo. In the event of a possible conflict between Greece and Turkey, Athens will be alone, former defence minister Evangelos Apostolakis has said. Turkey pulled the vessel out in mid-September to “allow for diplomacy” ahead of an October 1 European Union summit. Over the weekend, Mr Erdogan took aim at French President Emmanuel Macron and Mr Mitsotakis, calling them both “greedy and incompetent”. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express. The latest conflict came as a result of Turkey’s declaration that it will conduct seismic work from July 21 in the eastern Mediterranean. Turkey's research vessel, Oruc Reis anchored off the coast of Antalya on the Mediterranean, Turkey, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020. All this comes as Turkey and Russia face off in the Syrian conflict, where Ankara backs anti-government rebels while Moscow is key ally of President Bashar al-Assad. His comments come just days after EU member states agreed to issue sanctions against Ankara if they do not deescalate tensions in the region. Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan claimed one of his oil ships had been attacked and vowed the opposition will pay a “high price” if they interfered with the exploration vessel. THESSALONIKI, Greece -- After weeks of tensions in the eastern Mediterranean, Greece and Turkey have signaled a willingness to start talks aimed at … Ankara says Greece is using the island as an excuse to expand its continental shelf in the region and violating Turkey’s rights, state-run Anadolu news agency said on Wednesday. Following Turkey’s exploration for oil and gas in the disputed waters, Greece placed its military forces on high alert. DW News Growing conflict between Greece and Turkey. “Our expectation from Greece is for it to withdraw its maximalist claims that are contrary to international law … put an end to its exercises and military activities that increase tensions in the Aegean and the Mediterranean, and to enter into a sincere dialogue with us.”. News Greece accuses Turkey of 'threatening peace' in the Mediterranean. newspaper archive. But at the summit, the bloc said it would punish Turkey and threatened sanctions if it continued its operations in the region, in a move Ankara said further strained Turkey-EU ties. Turkey has sparred with Greece and Cyprus in recent weeks over contested territorial waters where major natural gas deposits have been discovered. This prompted the US, EU, France and Israel to condemn the actions by Turkey. A Greek news website quoted the statements of the Chief of Staff of the Greek Army, Constantius Florus, who did not rule out the occurrence of a “military conflict with Turkey in the event that Ankara proceeded to cross the red lines,” noting that “the military conflict is possible, and no one can exclude this possibility. The problem for Greece is that the area mapped out, which runs from Turkey's southern coast to Libya's northern shores, runs alongside a major Greek island. Turkey’s foreign affairs minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu claimed the actions of Athens could lead to war. The situation in the Mediterranean has sparked fears of a World War 3 outbreak and Pope Francis appealed for “constructive dialogue” between the nations. DON'T MISSTurkey-Greece crisis: Four EU nations to join military exercise  [REVEAL] EU on brink: Germany warns 'any spark' in Turkey-Greece a threat [COMMENT] Mediterranean TINDERBOX: Turkey vows to defend waters [INSIGHT]. Greece has issued no official comment on the two neighbours' latest dispute. However, Mr Çavuşoğlu disputed the move by Greece claiming any action would lead to war. TURKEY has threatened Greece with war for extending their territorial waters as relations continue to escalate in the Mediterranean. Thai police revive controversial royal defamation law ahead of protest The talks were called off and the Oruc Reis left port on 10 August. Athens is set to double its western territorial waters with Italy to 12 nautical miles, a move accepted under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which Ankara is not part of. It is one of the biggest headaches EU Foreign Ministers face. NewsNow’s dedicated feed aims to bring you breaking news, statements, commentary and analysis on the Greek-Turkish international relations; all articles on issues of foreign policy, military conflict, territorial disputes, status quo, trade and reconciliation. But then in early August Greece signed a deal with Egypt to set up a maritime zone that infuriated Turkey. Turkey’s military play for Mediterranean oil and gas reserves challenges Greece’s maritime borders. "Turkey's unilateral decisions on oil exploration are causing tensions. This is not the first swipe against the French President after Mr Erdogan claimed Greece was being pushed into taking “wrong steps” in the region by “a country that doesn’t even have a coast in the eastern Mediterranean”. In the agreement, the area is delineated as an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which gives both Libya and Turkey exclusive rights to exploit the as yet untapped oil and gas reserves there. Neither side wants war, but tensions have soared. Tensions came to a head this summer when each side made overlapping claims to swaths of the eastern Mediterranean, and Turkey dispatched … Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights. He also went on to say “the most pressing and urgent thing is to solve the question of the drillings and the presence of Turkish boats in Greek and Cypriot waters”. Turkey and Greece staring into 'the abyss' as tensions in Mediterranean risk spiraling into conflict Observers fear a mistake or miscalculation could lead to military conflict … On Monday, the German government said it had “taken note” of Turkey’s announcement on the energy prospecting. Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan claimed one of his oil ships had been attacked and vowed the opposition will pay a “high price” if they interfered, Tensions between France and Turkey escalate, This is not the first swipe against the French President after Mr Erdogan claimed Greece was being pushed into taking “wrong steps” in the region by “a country that doesn’t even have a coast in the eastern, Pope Francis appealed for constructive dialogue, "I have decided to temporarily strengthen the French military presence in the Eastern Mediterranean in the coming days, in cooperation with, Turkish fighter jets scrambled in 'dogfight' with Greek warplanes, Turkey-Greece crisis: Four EU nations to join military exercise, EU on brink: Germany warns 'any spark' in Turkey-Greece a threat, Mediterranean TINDERBOX: Turkey vows to defend waters, Turkey vs Greece: MP issues fierce warning to 'provocative' Erdogan, 'We have deployed warships but will not open fire on Greece first', Turkey vs Greece: Turkey 'had no choice' but to send ship - embassy. Yusuf also argued that there are bigger problems at hand for Turkey and added that a “political or military conflict will have serious economic impacts on both these countries [Greece and Turkey The horror of a war between Turkey and Greece is unthinkable. According to reports, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is looking for a similar move on the eastern side with Turkey. The Greek foreign ministry said the latest mission was a "new serious escalation" which "exposed" Turkey's "destabilising role". "I have decided to temporarily strengthen the French military presence in the Eastern Mediterranean in the coming days, in cooperation with European partners including Greece.". Mr Borrell is referring to the Oruç Reis vessels which was deployed to the Mediterranean Sea earlier this month to search for oil and gas. The Associated Press. Greece has called a military meeting after Turkey resumed a mission looking for gas reserves near a Greek island. Tensions between the two nations have increased over recent weeks after Greece is planning to expand its maritime borders in the Aegean Sea. But Turkey said Greece had no right to oppose its work 15km (9.3 miles) from its mainland in the eastern Mediterranean and on its continental shelf. “It is unacceptable for there to be opposition against our country, which has the longest coastline to the eastern Mediterranean, operating 15km from its mainland,” it said, adding Greece’s criticisms were “baseless accusations with no standing in international law”. According to Turkey’s maritime notice, two other vessels, the Ataman and Cengiz Han along with the Oruc Reis exploration ship, will continue working in an area including that south of Kastellorizo, also until October 22. “This is a basic element to allow the dialogue to advance.”. In a statement, he said: “In the Aegean, Greece cannot extend its borders to 12 miles. ΥΠΕΞ➡️ https://t.co/QigHUE5bd9, — Υπουργείο Εξωτερικών (@GreeceMFA) October 12, 2020. “We call on Turkey to recall its decision,” Greece said, describing the research mission as a “direct threat to regional peace and security”. Following Turkey’s exploration for oil and gas in the disputed waters. We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. It defined the borders of modern Turkey and Greece. READ MORE: Turkish fighter jets scrambled in 'dogfight' with Greek warplanes. Hakan Karan, a professor at Ankara University’s Faculty of Law, told Anadolu that the island’s close proximity to Turkey rendered Greece’s claims invalid. Earlier this month, Mr Macron tweeted: "The situation in the eastern Mediterranean is worrying. Relations between the two neighbours have been souring for months. "These must end in order to allow a peaceful dialogue between neighbouring countries and allies within NATO. Express. Greece and Turkey: A difficult friendship Greeks and Turks have much in common culturally, yet share a troubled past. Turkey and Greece are NATO allies. “If there really were exploration in this disputed area of sea, that would be a very regrettable step and, from our point of view, an unwise one,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman, Steffen Seibert, told reporters in Berlin. “We expect Turkey to meet its commitments, abstain from new provocations and show concrete evidence of good faith,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Agnes von der Muhll said. However, Mr Çavuşoğlu disputed the move by Greece claiming any action, Turkey threatens war with Greece over water claims, Turkey deployed the oil vessel in Mediterranean, The Oruç Reis sailed with military vessels, Turkey on warpath: Erdogan warns Greece 'we will take what's ours', Greece v Turkey latest: Ankara issues war warning over Athens’ plot, EU top diplomat Josep Borrell said: “We (the EU member states) are clear and determined in defending the European Union’s interests and solidarity. Greece and Turkey are … “Turkey has to refrain from unilateral actions. Both sides would suffer if the conflict over gas reserves in the Mediterranean were to escalate further. EU top diplomat Josep Borrell said: “We (the EU member states) are clear and determined in defending the European Union’s interests and solidarity with Greece and Cyprus. 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