In the eastern Mediterranean, two NATO allies have clashed: the conflict could encompass the entire region.

Warships from both countries demonstrated their capabilities in the eastern Mediterranean, for which both competitors compete. Competition for oil and gas resources adds new tensions to old disputes.

As CNN notes, as the two NATO allies engage in so-called canon diplomacy, involving more states in their disputes, Germany is trying to ease tensions that could spread throughout the region.

“The dialogue between Greece and Turkey must be further encouraged, not suppressed. Furthermore, what we need now are not new provocations, but finally the necessary steps that can lead to relaxation and direct discussions,” the German chancellor wrote on Twitter before the visits Tuesday to Athens and Ankara to bring both sides to the negotiating table. Heiko Maasas.

Tensions flared when Ankara announced an extension of the seismic reconnaissance mission in the disputed waters. The mission was initially expected to be completed on Monday. The announcement is published in the global NAVTEX system. The Turkish reconnaissance ship Oruc Reis is accompanied by warships. The Turkish Defense Ministry also reported on military exercises in the Mediterranean.

“Turkish and allied warships in 2020 August 25 will conduct military exercises in the eastern Mediterranean to promote coordination and interoperability,” the Defense Ministry wrote on Twitter on Tuesday.

According to a 2010 United States Geological Survey study estimates that the Levante basin in the eastern Mediterranean contains 1.7 billion barrels of oil that can be extracted and sold at current oil prices, as well as 3.45 trillion cubic meters of gas. .

Greece considers Turkish gas exploration illegal. Athens responded by announcing a NAVTEX response and announcing military exercises at the same location, south of the Turkish and Greek islands of Kasteloriz (Meiss), less than two kilometers off the coast of Turkey.

“Greece is responding calmly, we are prepared both at the diplomatic and operational level. With the support of the confidence of the population, Greece is doing everything necessary to defend its sovereign rights,” the Greek government spokesman told reporters on Monday. Stelios Pets, Reuters reported.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the Greek reaction “square” and claimed that such actions “endanger maritime security” in these areas. “From now on, Greece will be solely responsible for any negative events in the region,” Erdogan said on Monday.

Germany’s efforts to push for a deal between Greece and Turkey were unsuccessful in July. Turkey suspended seismic gas exploration in the disputed area while negotiations continued. However, according to the Turkish government, these negotiations failed when Greece signed a partial maritime demarcation agreement with Egypt.

Since then, Turkey has been conducting reconnaissance in the disputed waters. “Our drilling vessels continue to operate as planned. We are guided by international law. Greece is joining with certain countries to make their behavior appear correct because it lacks credibility,” Turkish Energy Minister Fatih Donmez said Tuesday. .

Donmes seems to have taken into account the support that Greece, a member of the European Union, has received from France and the United Arab Emirates.

To express its solidarity with Greece, France announced an increase in military forces in the eastern Mediterranean in response to Turkey’s exploration of hydrocarbons, and deployed fighter jets and warships to the Greek island of Crete in mid-August.

The territorial dispute between Turkey, Greece and the divided island region of Cyprus has been resolved for many years. However, “[rytinėje Viduržemio jūros dalyje] The region’s offshore natural gas resources have changed everything in the last five years, ”explains Michael Tanchum, principal investigator at the Austrian Institute for European and Safety Studies. As a result, the region has become “an essential time of battle, with major converging geopolitical challenges, including issues related to the European Union and the Middle East and North Africa region,” Tanchum added.

The disputed territory is also linked to the territorial claims of Cyprus. The island is still divided into two parts: in the south, a Greek-speaking EU member state, the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus, and in the north, the arbitrarily self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognized only by Turkey. .

The Republic of Cyprus has licensed international companies such as ENI in Italy and Total in France to explore for gas in the eastern Mediterranean. The Turkish government claims that in this way the Turkish part of Cyprus loses its hydrocarbon resources in the region.

“Both France and the United Arab Emirates, with whom it maintains close collaboration, compete with Turkey for influence in the Middle East and Africa. The eastern Mediterranean is a place where France and the United Arab Emirates can put pressure on Turkey, a region that Turkey considers it vital to its national interests. As a result, Turkey is at a disadvantage, so Ankara is reacting by intensifying the escalation, “explains Tanchum.

However, the risk of a situation where a deal becomes impossible is obvious. “There has already been a collision between Greek and Turkish warships, which has caused some damage to the Turkish ship,” Tanchum recalled the incident in August. The scientist added: “The risk of a calculation or other incident involving an open collision that nobody wants now is risky.”