Greece And Turkey Pledge To 'Reset' Ties And Resolve Longstanding Disputes

Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, left, meets Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a NATO leaders' summit in Vilnius, Lithuania [Dimitris Papamitsos/Greek Prime Minister's Office/Handout via Reuters]  

Reuters: Leaders of Turkey and Greece vow to repair ties after year of tension 

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece and Turkey agreed on Wednesday to resume talks and confidence-building measures as they hailed a new "positive climate" in ties after more than a year of tensions between the historic foes. 

The two North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies have been at odds for decades over a range of issues including where their continental shelves start and end, energy resources, overflights of the Aegean Sea, and ethnically split Cyprus. 

Last year, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan halted bilateral talks in a dispute over airspace violations and after accusing Greek Prime Minister of pressuring the United States to block the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey. 

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WNU Editor: Both leaders have been re-elected by their voters in the past month. So at least that is behind them. Maybe some good will now come out of that outcome. 

Greece And Turkey Pledge To 'Reset' Ties And Resolve Longstanding Disputes  

NATO members Greece and Turkey pledge to 'reset' ties and bypass longstanding disputes -- AP  

Greece, Turkey Seeking To Build 'Positive Momentum': Leaders -- AFP  

Erdogan Meets Greece's Mitsotakis to Build On Recent Thaw -- Bloomberg  

Leaders of Turkiye and Greece vow to repair ties after year of tension -- Middle East Monitor

Greek Coast Guard Patrol Fires Warning Shots At Turkish Coast Guard Ship

File photo of a Turkish coast guard ship patrols in the Aegean Sea, off the Turkish coast. (Reuters)  

Zero Hedge: Shots Fired In Tense Greece-Turkey Patrol Boat Ramming Incident 

Turkish media is confirming a major incident between a Turkish coast guard vessel and a Greek coast guard patrol boat on Thursday, describing that the Greek patrol was harassing Turkish fishing boats before Turkish coast guard authorities intervened. But Athens has countered that it was the Turkish side harassing Greek vessels. 

Both sides are saying warning shots were fired and are attributing acts of aggression to the other side: "A Greek coast guard patrol boat’s crew fired warning shots early Thursday to deter a Turkish coast guard vessel that was trying to ram them in the eastern Aegean Sea, authorities in Athens said, as tensions between the two neighbors remain high," the Associated Press reports.  

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WNU Editor: It is not only in the waters of Greece and Turkey that both countries are facing each other .... Turkey Violated Airspace of Greece More than 10,000 Times in 2022 (Greek Reporter). 

Greek Coast Guard Patrol Fires Warning Shots At Turkish Coast Guard Ship  

Greek coast guard patrol fires warning shots at Turkish patrol vessel -- AP  

Greek Coast Guard Harassed, Fires Warning Shots at Turkish Patrol Boat -- Greek Reporter  

Coast guard units prevent Greek harassment of Turkish fishing boats -- Daily Sabah

Turkey Threatens War Against Greece Again

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu speaks at a press briefing in the capital Ankara, Türkiye, Dec. 29, 2022 (AA Photo)  

Politico: Turkey renews threat of war over Greek territorial sea dispute  

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu warned Greece not to proceed with any expansion of its territorial waters in the Aegean. 

ATHENS — Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu on Thursday threatened Greece with retaliation if Athens proceeded with any expansion of its territorial waters in the Aegean, saying that it would still be seen as a casus belli justifying military action.

“Our position is clear, no 12 miles, we will not allow for territorial waters to be expanded by even a mile in the Aegean,” Çavuşoğlu said during an end-of-year press briefing in Ankara, commenting on reports that Athens plans to extend territorial waters around the island of Crete.  

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Update #1: Türkiye: 'We will not allow' expansion of Greek territorial waters (TRT World)  

Update #2: Türkiye draws line targeting any Greek increase of regional waters in Aegean (MENAFN)  

WNU Editor: This is why Turkey is threatening war .... Greece to extend territorial waters to 12 nautical miles south, west of Crete, reports local media (Middle East monitor).

Turkish President Erdoğan Warns Greece That Its Missiles Can Reach Athens

Turkish President Erdogan. Πηγή Φωτογραφίας: sabah/cnnturk  

Politico: Erdoğan warns Greece that Turkish missiles can reach Athens  

'If you don’t stay calm, … a country like Turkey will not be a bystander,’ Turkey’s president says. 

ATHENS — Turkey warned Greece that a missile could hit the Greek capital unless “you stay calm,” further escalating its rhetoric against Greece.

“Now we have started to make our own missiles,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said during a speech on Sunday in Samsun, in northern Turkey. “Of course, this production scares the Greeks. When you say ‘Tayfun,’ the Greek gets scared and say, ‘It will hit Athens.’ Well, of course it will.” 

Tayfun, which is Turkish for “typhoon” is a short-range ballistic missile developed by Turkey. The missile, which was test-fired in October over the Black Sea and hit a target at a distance of about 560 kilometers, a range more than double that of the current missiles in Turkey’s arsenal. 

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Update #1: Turkey-Greece Tensions: Erdogan Warns Missiles Can Hit Athens -- Bloomberg  

Update #2: Turkey's Erdogan Warns Greece Its Missiles Can Hit Athens — 'If You Don't Stay Calm…' -- Benzinga  

WNU Editor: The Greek government has responded .... Greek foreign minister slams Turkish leader's missile threat (AP).

Turkey Issues A New Threat Against Greece And Its Militarization On Aegean islands

Archive - Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu - Tamino Petelinsek/Sta/BSF/dpa © Provided by News 360  

News 360: Turkey again threatens to invade Greek islands if Athens refuses to demilitarize them 

Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has again threatened Wednesday to invade the Greek islands if the Greek government continues to refuse to demilitarize them, as demanded by Ankara. 

Cavusoglu, who indicated during a press conference that Turkish forces could "arrive suddenly during the night", pointed out that Ankara could also "challenge sovereignty" in other ways. 

Asked about the possibility of carrying out military exercises on the islands of Rhodes and Lesbos, Cavusoglu reaffirmed that the "ball is in Greece's court".  

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Update #1: Turkey issues new threat against Greece over Aegean islands (Politico)  

Update #2: Row over militarization of Greek islands peaks with Turkish warning (Al-Monitor)  

WNU Editor: Greece has responded .... Greece slams Turkey over 'repeated threats of war' (The Times of Israel).

Greece Warns Allies Of Possible Turkish Invasion

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during opening ceremony of a mosque and cultural centre named after him, in Sisak, about 60 kilometres from the capital of Zagreb in Croatia, on 8 September 2022 (AFP) 

Insider: Greece warns another European war could be on the horizon as Turkey hints at the possibility of an invasion 

* Greece is calling on the EU, NATO, and the UN to condemn Turkey over recent threats. 

* Turkey's Erdogan has made veiled threats of an attack against Greece. 

* "When the time comes, we can come suddenly one night," Erdogan said on Tuesday. 

Greece is calling on its allies to condemn Turkey over recent aggressive rhetoric from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has hinted at the possibility of open conflict as tensions rise between the two countries. 

In letters dated Monday and Tuesday to NATO, the EU, and the UN that were reported on by the Associated Press, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias called for all three institutions to rebuke Ankara over Erdogan's comments. 

Dendias said that allowing Turkey to continue threatening Greece would run the risk of yet another conflict in Europe, in an apparent reference to the war in Ukraine. 

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WNU Editor: The last thing that Europe needs right now is another war/conflict on the continent.

Greece Warns Allies Of Possible Turkish Invasion  

Greece warns allies of Turkey conflict danger amid tension -- AP  

Greece to allies: Crack down on Turkey or risk another Ukraine -- Politico  

Greece complains to NATO and United Nations over Turkey's remarks -- Reuters  

Turkey, Greece escalate war of words as they drag in EU, NATO -- Al Monitor  

Tension rises as Turkey, Greece voice festering grievances -- AP 

NATO gaffe sign of bigger strife between Turkey, Greece -- Al-Monitor

Turkey Says Greek Missiles Locked On Its Fighters Over The Mediterranean While Carrying Out A NATO Mission

The F-16s were at an altitude of 3,000 metres to the west of Greece’s Rhodes island [File: Murad Sezer/Reuters]  

Daily Sabah: ‘Greek missiles locking on Turkish fighters over Med challenges NATO’  

Greece has challenged NATO and its allies, not Türkiye, by locking its air defense systems on Turkish jets carrying out a NATO reconnaissance mission, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said late Tuesday. 

Erdoğan lashed out against Greece over the harassment of Turkish jets carrying out reconnaissance missions over the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean, calling it a "hostile act." 

"Greece has challenged NATO and its allies by increasing its hostile attitude, which started with harassing our airspace and aircraft and escalated to the level of S-300 radar lockdown," the president said, ahead of a celebration concert for the centenary of Türkiye's Victory Day at the presidential complex in the capital Ankara.  

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Update #1: Turkey accuses Greece of 'hostile action' against jets (CNA/AAFP)  

Update #2: Turkey accuses Greece of ‘hostile action’ against its jets (Al Jazeera)  

WNU Editor: Greece has responded .... Greece has effective deterrents against Turkish threats, spokesman says (Ekathimerini).

Turkey's Foreign Minister Urges A 'Greater Turkey'

#Turkey cannot be contained within its borders.
If this doesn’t ring a bell, it should definitely sound an alarm.pic.twitter.com/Zy42vzBlWG

— George Mastropavlos (@g_mastropavlos) June 25, 2022

Zero Hedge: Turkish FM Urges 'Greater Turkey' As EU Sides With Greece In Territorial Dispute 

On Friday Turkey lashed out at a series of positions the EU summit in Brussels took regarding territorial disputes with Greece in the Aegean and Mediterranean - specifically on drilling rights and Ankara's charge that Greece is "militarizing" its islands in violation of historic treaties, an accusation which the EU has not backed. This also as Turkey has been seething over Ukraine and Moldova so quickly being granted EU candidate status. 

The EU has consistently sided with defending Greece and Cyprus' pushback against expansive Turkish claims, which the Turkish foreign ministry slammed as decisions which are "prejudiced, lack vision, and are disconnected from reality."  

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Update #1: Aegean waters heat up as Turkey, Greece exchange barbs over islands (Al-Monitor)  

Update #2: Why Turkey, Greece remain on collision course over Aegean islands (Al Jazeera)  

WNU Editor: Turkey's focus right now is on northern Syria .... Will Turkey invade northern Syria again? (Jerusalem Post).

Turkish President Erdogan Warns Greece To Demilitarize Aegean Islands

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses an audience as he watches a military exercise near Izmir on Thursday [Murat Cetinmuhurdar via Reuters]  

Al Jazeera: Stop militarising Aegean islands, Turkey’s Erdogan tells Greece  

Ankara warns Athens should avoid ‘acts and statements that will result in regret’ as Turkey kicks off military drills. 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has demanded Greece stop arming Aegean Sea islands that have non-military status and abide by international agreements in remarks that could inflame long-standing disagreements between the two countries. 

“I warn Greece to avoid dreams, acts and statements that will result in regret. Come to your senses,” Erdogan said on Thursday in a televised speech made as he observed large-scale Turkish military drills near Izmir, on the country’s western coast. 

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WNU Editor: Erdogan is even criticizing the US presence in Greece .... Erdogan Criticises US Bases in Greece Ahead of Military Exercise (Bloomberg). 

Turkish President Erdogan Warns Greece To Demilitarize Aegean Islands 

Turkey’s Erdogan warns Greece to demilitarize Aegean islands -- AP  

Turkey's Erdogan tells Greece not to arm demilitarised islands -- Reuters  

Erdogan says Turkey 'not joking' over warning to Greece to demilitarise Aegean islands -- Middle East Eye

Turkey Breaks off High-Level Talks With Greece

Turkish President Erdogan addresses members of AKP during a meeting at the parliament in Ankara  

Reuters: Turkey's Erdogan halts talks with Greece as tensions flare again 

ANKARA (Reuters) -President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday Turkey was halting talks with Greece, partly over a dispute with the Greek prime minister and what Ankara calls airspace violations, marking the latest reversal in the neighbours' long-testy relationship. 

Last year, after a five-year hiatus, the two NATO members resumed talks to address their differences in the Mediterranean Sea and other bilateral issues. 

The talks have made little progress and the countries have frequently traded barbs.  

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WNU Editor: The Greek military is on alert .... Greek Forces on High Alert over Crisis with Turkey (VOA). 

Turkey Breaks off High-Level Talks With Greece  

Turkey Breaks off High-Level Talks With Greece as Rift Grows -- AP  

Erdogan halts Turkey-Greece talks as rift widens -- Al Jazeera  

Erdogan says Turkey will no longer hold bilateral talks with Greece -- Kathimerini  

Turkey ends joint mechanism with Greece over hostile stance -- Daily Sabah

Turkey - Greece Tensions Escalate Over Turkish Vessel Return To Disputed Waters In Eastern Mediterranean

Euronews: Turkish research ship at centre of drilling row with Greece set to return to Mediterranean

Greece has accused neighbour Turkey of undermining efforts to ease a crisis over drilling rights in the eastern Mediterranean after the announcement that a Turkish survey vessel is being prepared to renew a research mission in disputed waters. 

The Turkish research ship Oruc Reis will operate "from 12 to 20 October" in the same region it was exploring in August and September, including the area south of the Greek island of Kastellorizo, according to the message sent by the maritime alert system NAVTEX. 

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 More News On Turkey - Greece Tensions Escalating Over Turkish Vessel Returning To Disputed Waters In Eastern Mediterranean 

Turkish ship at centre of Greece row to return to Mediterranean -- BBC 

Turkey restarts hunt for Mediterranean gas, reigniting Greek row -- AFP 

Greece condemns Ankara as Turkish survey ship sets sail -- CNN 

Greece calls Turkey's survey in the Mediterranean a 'major escalation' -- DW 

Turkey Resumes Mediterranean Survey Amid Tensions With Greece -- Bloomberg 

Energy row with Greece escalates as Turkish vessel returns to disputed waters in eastern Mediterranean -- RT 

Turkey sails into contested Mediterranean waters, angering Greece -- Al Jazeera

EU Threatens Turkey With Sanctions

Reuters: Europe's south tells Turkey: resume talks this month or risk sanctions

AJACCIO, France (Reuters) - The European Union will draw up a list of new sanctions on Turkey at the end of September unless Ankara comes to the negotiating table to resolve a territorial dispute with Greece and Cyprus, the EU’s Mediterranean states said on Thursday.

Tensions flared between the EU and NATO member Turkey after Ankara sent a survey vessel to map out possible oil and gas drilling prospects in territorial waters claimed by Greece and areas claimed by Cyprus.

The seven EU members with Mediterranean coastlines gathered for a summit in Corsica, France, said in a joint communique they reiterated their “full support and solidarity with Cyprus and Greece in the face of the repeated infringements on their sovereignty (...) as well as confrontational actions by Turkey”.

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WNU Editor: The Turkish government is not happy .... Turkey blasts 'arrogant' Macron amid Eastern Med crisis talks (Al Jazeera).

More News On The EU Threatening Turkey With Sanctions

Mediterranean leaders ready for EU sanctions on 'confrontational' Turkey -- France 24
EU to consider sanctions on Turkey over Mediterranean gas drilling -- DW
While war in the eastern Mediterranean is unlikely, a limited engagement may be necessary -- Middle East Monitor
Greek–Turkish Rivalry Is Again Near the Boiling Point -- Victor Davis Hanson, NRO
Are Turkey And Greece On The Brink Of War? -- Forbes

Is A War Between Turkey And Greece 'Just A Matter Of Time'?

Turkey's Oruc Reis seismic vessel, escorted by Turkish navy, is seen offshores of Eastern Mediterranean on 20 August 2020. [Turkish National Defense Ministry - Anadolu Agency]

Middle East Monitor: Turkey: War with Greece 'just a matter of time'

Head of Turkish National Movement Party Devlet Bahçeli has declared that war with Greece is “just a matter of time”, The New Khaleej reported on Friday.

“It is inconceivable to turn our backs on our historical interests in the Mediterranean and the Aegean,” Bahçeli announced in a statement reported by the Arabic news website.

“It seems that Greece’s appetite and desire to be thrown into the sea has swelled again,” stressing that war in the Mediterranean and the Aegean is “just a matter of time”.

He added: “Greece’s goal is to come again and occupy our lands from where we threw them out 98 years ago. We are facing a new invasion plan.”

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WNU Editor: Listening to Turkey you would think that war is going to happen any moment. But I think now. Turkey has few if any friends in the region, and any military confrontation with Greece would only isolate the country more.

Turkish President Erdogan Is Threatening Greece To Concede Over Disputed Mediterranean Territorial Claims Or Suffer The Consequences

Ankara is currently facing off against Greece and Cyprus over oil and gas exploration rights in the eastern Mediterranean

DW: Turkey threatens Greece over disputed Mediterranean territorial claims

President Erdogan has issued the warning a day before his forces launch military drills in the region. Locked for weeks in a tense standoff, the crisis is the most serious in Turkish-Greek relations in decades.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday threatened Greece to enter talks over escalating tensions in the eastern Mediterranean or face consequences.

"They will understand that Turkey has the political, economic and military strength to tear up immoral maps and documents," he said at a hospital's opening ceremony in Istanbul.

Erdogan was referring to disputed areas claimed by Greece and Cyprus as their exclusive economic maritime zones. All sides have deployed naval and air forces to defend their competing claims in the region.

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WNU Editor: To back-up these threats, Turkey is now deploying armoured military units to the Greek border .... Turkey Escalates With Tanks & Armored Troop Carriers Deployed To Greek Border (Zero Hedge).

More News On Erdogan Threatening Greece Over Disputed Territorial Claims

Turkey raises rhetoric in Greece standoff ahead of military drill -- France 24
Turkish President Recep Erdogan warns Greece to enter talks over disputed Mediterranean territory or suffer 'painful experiences' -- Daily Mail
Erdogan threatens Greece over disputed territorial claims -- Euronews
Erdogan to Greece: Turkey Has Political, Military Power to 'Tear Up Immoral Maps' in Mediterranean -- Al Jazeera
Erdogan raises rhetoric in Greece standoff in Mediterranean -- Al Jazeera
Turkey's Erdogan, EU's Michel discuss East Mediterranean - CNN Turk -- Reuters

A Look At How Greek And Turkish Air Forces Stack Up

Warzone/The Drive: Face-Off In The Aegean: How Greek And Turkish Air Forces Stack Up

With tensions rising over energy reserves in the Aegean Sea, the disgruntled neighbors have air arms that are well-equipped and at high readiness.

Greece and Turkey have a long history of animosity despite both being NATO members. However, there’s a real concern that the current spike in tensions — mainly related to control of oil and gas reserves and maritime rights in the eastern Mediterranean — could escalate. If they do, the respective air arms of the two countries are likely to be heavily engaged, so it’s a good time to take a detailed look at their respective assets and how their capabilities compare.

It’s worth noting here that the Hellenic and Turkish Air Forces regularly spar over the Aegean Sea. Turkey and Greece broadly have a long history of confrontation, including an all-out war fought in support of competing factions in Cyprus in 1974. That independent Mediterranean island, which is still divided between areas under the control of ethnic Greek and Turkish Cypriots to this day, remains a focus of antagonism between the two countries. However, current developments in the region have caused alarm in both NATO and the European Union.

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WNU Editor: In any major conflict between Greece and Turkey the casualties and damage would be massive. But the real damage will be political and economic. I do not see Greece starting military hostilities against Turkey, but Turkish President Erdogan has made it clear that many of these small Greek islands along their maritime coast should belong to Turkey. Will he seized them with force? When it comes to Erdogan one can only wonder, but if he should it would result in military conflict. In such a conflict the fighting will be in the air and in the sea. And while Turkey has an advantage in numbers, the economic and political sanctions that the EU will impose on Turkey will be massive and crippling to their economy that would make any territorial gain meaningless.

Turkey Accuses Greece Of 'Piracy' And 'Arming' An Island At The Centre Of Their Maritime Dispute

Kastellorizo is the island furthest removed from Greece and is 1.2 miles off the Turkish coast

Daily Mail: Turkey accuses Greece of 'piracy' and 'arming' an island at the centre of an escalating dispute over energy resources in the Mediterranean

Tensions between the countries have escalated as both sides stage military drills
Greece says that waters surrounding the island are under their sovereignty
Turkish President Erdogan said that acknowledging Greek jurisdiction would mean 'imprisoning Turkey within its coastline'

Turkey has accused Greece of 'piracy' and attempting to 'arm' the island at the centre of their row energy resources in the Mediterranean.

Tensions between the two countries have escalated with both sides staging military drills in the area.

Kastellorizo is the island furthest removed from Greece and is 1.2 miles off the Turkish coast.

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Update: Turkey Says Greece 'Arming Island' In East Med Row (AFP)

WNU Editor: Damn those pesky little Greek islands. Small confession. The best holiday that I ever had was on those little Greek islands about 20 years ago. Sighhhh .... how the times have changed.

Turkish President Erdogan Says Turkey Will Make No Concessions In Eastern Mediterranean

France 24: Erdogan warns Greece that Turkey will ‘never compromise’ on Mediterranean energy reserves

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Greece on Wednesday not to test his country’s patience or courage, further stoking tensions between the NATO allies over offshore energy exploration in the eastern Mediterranean.

Erdogan’s tough words came despite mediation efforts by Germany, whose foreign minister conducted shuttle diplomacy between Athens and Ankara a day earlier in a bid to deescalate the situation as Turkey and Greece engaged in competing military exercises at sea.

The neighboring countries are locked in an acrimonious dispute over maritime boundaries and offshore energy rights. They have sent warships to shadow each other in the eastern Mediterranean and held military exercises within a broad area between Crete and Cyprus where Turkey has a vessel conducting drilling research.

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More News On Turkish President Erdogan Saying Turkey Will Make No Concessions In Eastern Mediterranean

Erdogan: Turkey will make no concessions in eastern Mediterranean (Al Jazeera)
Turkey, Greece stick to their guns in escalating Med dispute -- AP
Turkey reiterates determination to defend legitimate interests in East Med -- Daily Sabah
‘If Greece wants to pay a price, let them come’: Erdogan fires back at Athens as Mediterranean row escalates -- RT

Greek, Turkish Warships In 'Mini Collision' On Wednesday During A Standoff In The Eastern Mediterranean

Turkish Navy frigate TCG Kemal Reis (F-247) is pictured in the Bosphorus strait in Istanbul, Turkey May 13, 2019. Picture taken May 13, 2019. REUTERS/Yoruk Isik

Reuters: Greek, Turkish warships in 'mini collision' Ankara calls provocative

ATHENS/ANKARA (Reuters) - A Greek and a Turkish warship were involved in a mild collision on Wednesday during a standoff in the eastern Mediterranean, in what a Greek defence source called an accident but Ankara described as a provocation.

Tensions between the NATO allies have risen this week after Turkey sent a survey vessel to the region, escorted by warships, to map out sea territory for possible oil and gas drilling in an area where Turkey and Greece both claim jurisdiction.

The Turkish Oruc Reis survey ship has been moving between Cyprus and the Greek island of Crete, shadowed by a number of Greek frigates. On Wednesday one of them, the Limnos, was approaching the survey vessel when it came into the path of one of its Turkish naval escorts, the Kemal Reis.

The Greek frigate manoeuvred to avoid a head-on collision and in the process its bow touched the rear of the Turkish frigate, the defence source said, calling it a “mini collision.”

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WNU Editor: Turkish President Erdogan has already issued a warning .... Erdogan says attack on Turkish ship in Mediterranean dispute will exact 'high price' (NBC/Reuters). More here .... Turkish President Erdogan threatens a 'heavy price' to attackers of country's oil vessel Oruc Reis as France sends its navy into the eastern Mediterranean in support of Greece (Daily Mail/AFP).

Greece Puts Its Military On Alert Over Turkey's Exploration Of Oil And Gas Reserves In Contested Waters

The Guardian: Greek military put on high alert as tensions with Turkey rise

Dispute over exploration of energy reserves in eastern Mediterranean escalates

Greece has placed its military forces on high alert, recalling its naval and air force officers from holiday, as tensions with Turkey over exploration of potentially lucrative offshore energy reserves escalate in the eastern Mediterranean.

With Ankara dispatching the Oruç Reis, a drillship escorted by gunboats, to conduct seismic research in contested waters, Athens stepped up calls for Turkey to stop the “illegal” activities, intensifying a diplomatic offensive that has prompted the US, EU, France and Israel to express growing anxiety over the situation.

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WNU Editor: Turkish President Erdogan does not strike me as someone who listens .... Turkey's Erdogan says only solution in Mediterranean is dialogue (Reuters)

More News On The Growing Tensions Between Greece And Turkey

Greece deploys navy against Turkish intrusion -- Washington Examiner
Greece calls for emergency EU meeting on Turkey’s Eastern Mediterranean activities -- Middle East Monitor
Greek PM Mitsotakis: “Greece Will Not Succumb to Threats and Blackmail” -- Greek Reporter
Greece, U.S. foreign ministers to meet over Eastern Mediterranean tensions -- Reuters
Turkey's search for oil may spill over into conflict with Greece -- Simon Henderson, The Hill

Greece Accuses Turkey of Occupying Small Piece of Greek Land

Around 35 soldiers marched on to a floodplain site on the east bank of the River Evros at Melissokomeio yesterday. The invaded area is shaded in red

Daily Mail: Dozens of Turkish soldiers invade and occupy small patch of Greek land, install their flag and set up camp along disputed border

* Around 35 soldiers marched on to a floodplain site on the bank of the River Evros
* At the camp there is a Turkish flag flying from a tree, as troops refuse to leave
* It comes after thousands of Syrian refugees failed to break through into Greece

Turkish troops have invaded and occupied a small patch of Greek land Greece on their contested border.

Around 35 soldiers marched on to a floodplain site on the east bank of the River Evros at Melissokomeio yesterday.

Turkish soldiers and police special forces now have a solid presence within the Greek territory and have camped in the pocket of Apiary at Feres, reports Greek site Army Voice.

At the camp there is now a small Turkish flag flying from a tree. Troops have rejected Greek demands to withdraw.

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Update #1: Greece Accuses Turkey of Occupying Small Piece of Greek Land (VOA)
Update #2: Greece Charges Turkey With 'Land Invasion' After Troops Cross River, Raise Turkish Flag (Zero Hedge)

WNU Editor: Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias is claiming that reports that Turkish troops had occupied a patch of land that is normally submerged at this time of year on Greece’s side of the border are “utterly false”. The Turkish Foreign Ministry has a different point of view .... Turkey will not allow 'fait accompli' on Greek border (Daily Sabah).