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The eastern Mediterranean has increasingly become a chessboard in which the great powers battle for influence and resources. Tensions between Greece and Turkey remain high, and Ankara’s announcement hours ago has sparked speculation that it has drawn Russia to its side.
Turkey has announced that Russia will carry out naval firing exercises in the eastern Mediterranean, amid growing tensions between Turkey and its neighbors Greece and Cyprus over energy rights in the region. The navigation advisory says Russian exercises will be held in September in areas of the Mediterranean where Turkish ships operate.
However, the fact that Turkey announces it is a mystery in this announcement. The AP reported that it is unclear why NATO member Turkey is announcing Russian naval exercises on behalf of Russia. There is no confirmation from Russia yet. In recent years, the two countries have significantly strengthened their military, political and economic relations, the agency notes.
At the same time, relations between Turkey and the United States are not rosy. Ankara has reacted angrily to the news that the United States will lift a 33-year arms embargo on Cyprus, which remains divided. The Turkish authorities described Washington’s decision as contrary to the allied spirit between the two countries. Ankara has pledged to take steps to ensure the security of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Greece, for its part, which accuses its neighbors of aggressive actions, has also attracted France, which has sent troops to the region.
The AP recalls that Turkey and Russia are coordinating their actions in Syria, and that the Turks also bought Russian-made S-400 missile systems, which angered Washington. In recent weeks, the warships of Greece and Turkey have been watching each other as Turkish research ships search for resources in waters Greece and Cyprus consider their own. In Athens, a Greek government spokesman said that the planned Russian exercises would be monitored by all countries in the region, including European and NATO partners. Athens maintains that it owns the right to exploit the natural resources around its islands off the Turkish coast. Ankara, for its part, says it will defend its national interests and, if necessary, do so by military means.
Russia maintains a significant naval presence in the eastern Mediterranean and maneuvers there regularly. The latest news about upcoming military exercises may be a message from Moscow that it remains a major regional power whose influence will not be diminished by Washington’s announcement of the Cyprus embargo. Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said that lifting the embargo (which effectively means shifting the balance in favor of the Greek Cypriots) would only paralyze the decades-long conflict, not solve it. Cyprus has been divided since 1974, with 35,000 Turkish troops stationed on the island in the exclusive republic of Ankara.
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