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Relations between Greece and Turkey have visibly deteriorated in recent weeks. The reason is the growing dispute over gas reserves in the Mediterranean. The Turkish government had recently openly threatened the Greeks with military consequences should they expand their territorial waters into the Aegean Sea.
Now, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has once again hardened the tone towards Greece and France. Political leaders in Athens and Paris are “greedy for money” and “incompetent,” the head of state in Ankara said on Sunday.
“When it comes to fighting, we are ready to be martyrs,” Erdogan said in a speech. He added: “The question is: are those who rebel against us in the Mediterranean willing to make the same sacrifices?”
“Do the Greek people accept the risk they are in because of their greedy and incompetent leaders?” Erdogan asked. “Do the French people know the price they will have to pay for their greedy and incompetent leaders?”
Ankara and Athens are fighting over the recently discovered gas deposits in the eastern Mediterranean. Relations between the two NATO countries are therefore extremely tense. Given the situation, France has increased its military presence in the eastern Mediterranean as a sign of its support for Greece.
Turkish ship causes unrest in disputed maritime zone
The conflict has a long history. In 1995, the Turkish parliament declared an expansion of Greek territorial waters in the Aegean as a “reason for war”.
The reason for the current worsening of the situation was, among other things, the dispatch of the Turkish exploration ship “Oruc Reis” to a maritime area claimed by Greece almost three weeks ago. The crew of the “Oruc Reis” looks for natural gas there.
According to the Turkish Defense Ministry, Turkish fighter jets intercepted six Greek planes en route to the Mediterranean area where the ship is sailing on Thursday, forcing them to retreat.
