There is already talk of war in the Mediterranean. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has warned that Greece’s planned expansion of its maritime borders will lead to war with Europe. The Greek government intends to exercise its legal right under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea to double its territorial waters with Italy from 6 to 12 nautical miles. The problem is that Turkey is not signed up to the convention and feels threatened by the move.
Who owns the mineral resources in the Mediterranean? The recent flare-up between Turkey and Greece is in large part due to the fact that new gas deposits have recently been discovered beneath the sea floor. Unfortunately, international law does not give a clear answer to who has the right to exploit these natural resources, and states sometimes interpret the law of the sea very differently.
Ultimately, countries bordering one another have to come to an agreement or take international legal action to resolve disputes. However, a legal or negotiated solution seems a long way off: France has strengthened its military presence in the Mediterranean to support Greece, and Turkey has deployed its navy to escort research vessels. Germany is still trying to appease both parties. How should the EU position itself, and how can tensions be de-escalated?
How can Europe de-escalate tensions with Turkey? Can all parties be brought to the table to find a negotiated solution? Is Ankara using tension with Athens to distract from domestic challenges? Let us know your thoughts and comments in the form below and we’ll take them to policymakers and experts for their reactions!
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There is an urgent need for an international peace conference on the conflict, so many parties are involved and we can no longer afford another conflict.
Then someone must stop Erdogan from violating the continental shelf of Greece and respect International laws.
Suspend their NATO membership…. If they continue, kick them out for good!!
Regarding Cyprus, Turkey is trying to exploit the fact they occupy Cypriot territory to claim a large part of Cyprus’ EEZ. It is time to end this nonsense and end the Turkish occupation in accordance with international law.
Τurkey s_EU conflict because of pirate operations by Erdogan s rogue regime into Greek and Cyprus waters and violations of airspace. And from threatening statements from Turkey’s government against all European union countries and USA
With Erdogan on power, I don’t think that will ever be a de-escalation with Turkey. If this crisis ends he will start another with migrants, in Libya etc etc
Erdogan knows very well how Europe works and he knows how to blackmail the Bloc.
The EU and the world in general has tolerated Erdogan far too long and for far too much. Unless the EU is ready to start sacrificing its member states one by one, it is time to finally say NO to Erdogan.
Crowdfunding, strong statements, social media support, #prayforgreece . Usual soft stuff that let this lunatic threaten around the whole world.
I hope you do understand what it means for European solidarity if US or Russia resolves the issue…
Start by removing them from NATO, they wouldnt feel so empowered.
not a good idea. Such approach will have pretty complicated consequences
Right, I forgot. Europe needs mercenaries to defend itself.
not really, it is a lot of geopolitics, some middle eastern affairs, and a fair bit of logistical issues. NATO is not an international army but a military cooperation platform, and as such it provides a lot of diplomatic features on many levels. This is practically the biggest issue the RF has with it(apart from the market stuff of course). This is also why, the EU should have created a similar platform either inside or aside of NATO. Nowadays nobody is preparing for a world war- if it comes, the amount of armies won’t make a difference. The benefits of international exchange platforms more(trade frames, military frames) or less(G20… UN) specialized is and will continue to grow. What has shown as an issue however is that going too big is not functional(UN as an example) at the same time many small fractions are too ineffective, There is a balance, but it is hard to find, because it is both situational and depends on the niche where the frame is allocated. Looking at NATO as example we see signs that it has expanded a bit too much to remain stable, and some revision is definitely needed, but that is a different topic.
Send Erdogan to Mars!
lets make mars great again 😃
Sactions and in one month Erdogan islamic regime die
The New Eastern Question.
Turkey has already published the Turkish ”Lebensraum” maps which are violating European borders and interests.
Lets hope that EU is not so naive as Chamberlain. Turkey has increased dramatically its military funding and pointing guns and refugees against EU members.
At the same time is establishing an undeground network in European capitals in order to influence the European public opinion and to abduct or exterminate those turkish citizens considered as ”gulenists”.
Austria and France have already published information about those networks.
Yeah because as we know applisment worked so well with the other crazy mustache dictator 😏 unless EU is ready to impose such sanctions that will cripple the ability of Turkey wage war by crippling their economy thus forcing them to stop the arms race, soon Europe will feel the consequences of staying inactive ones again
@Παυλος, Greece should receive the two disputed Aegean islands called Tenedos and Imbros or as Turks call them Gökçeada and Bozcaada with Greek population. Turkey should stop converting churches into mosques and Cyprus should be united. Do you think Greece can achieve this over negotiations with Turkey?
Erodgan is expecting a bribe again, so I don’t think there is an option. Sanctions may help, but the time window is critical. If applied to early they will fortify his position, if applied to late they won’t de-escalate the conflict. A nice solution would be to set up a company that does the research/mining with both countries owning shares in it. Unfortunately this won’t be acceptable for Erdogan- his nationalist narratives are contradicting conceptually cooperation and compromise. On the other end I am not sure if Greece will consider such solution beneficial, or if they agree it is possible they the terms they set won’t be economical for Turkey. Now a full-scale war will definitely be an economical disaster for the region, especially given the income from tourism that they both rely on(in the relevant regions), but then again nationalist narratives function only when the narrator can project power, so it is possible the an escalation is more beneficial compared to negotiation.
the problem is that you can’t trust erdogan, every time they get something they Wil come back asking for more, not to mention the near nazi grey wolfs party That is part of the the government has a narrative that includes genocidal aspects
With their leadership making threats that they Wil repeat the genocides of 1920s this time at Aegean sea
you can’t trust him to take the money and run, but yes, you can trust him that he will come back for more. Trust in geopolitics is a bitch 😃
yap apleasing some who blackmails you isn’t a good idea
He will always be hungry for more..
c’est la vie, man.
I don’t have too much info over the dispute. Interesting though, how by formulating the question, you point the finger towards Turkey 😀
I think you should get the info first, then you will easily understand why the finger is pointing towards Turkey.
Are you feeling bad? How sad. EU countries are Greece and Cyprus and an outsider is bullying with military operations European land and sea borders.
Turkey decided to drop EU membership and become the long lost and failed Ottoman Empire.
EU is not Syria, Sudan,Somalia,Azerbaitzan or Libya.
Thanks for the update Christos Boras. My knowledge points towards Turkey as well. I am not an Erdogan fan. On this matter though, a page called “debating,” sends this mesage against Turkey as granted. What if (capital letters, if you wish) on this particular issue Turkey is right? Where is the “debating” here?
Get my point?
Otherwise, I agree with most rational comments of this topic.
Thanks!
Let’s take back the part of Cyprus Turkey occupies, letting them this was the foot in the door, just the same mistake than letting Germany enter Tchécoslovaquie in the 30’s. They also occupy northern Syria illegally, nobody says a thing. Taking back the territories they detain in continental Europe would be the best thing to do. Tolerate an islamic imperialist dictatorship in Europe, or even at its borders is an extremely bad idea.
couldn’t have said it better myself. KUDOS to you my friend.
The tensions are entirely Erdogan’s fault. Europe should defend Greece.
Economically boicot both until resolved.
ah yes. Starve the bully AND the bully’s victim. An excellent solution to bullying.
It’s so simple, either get along civilly or be excluded.
radical idea but maybe functional, worth trying!
I guess you are just ignorant of the situation
do you know George Horton or only John Rambo Yankee?
I’s got no time for you’s silliness
at least answer if you know George Horton. Unless you know only John Rambo
starve the victim to accept the bullying, that’s your proposal?
So in case Someone brakes into to your home
Threatening that will butcher your family the police reaction should be
“get along civilly and don’t bother us”
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Really dude? What the reason of existence of a federation if that said federation can’t protect itself and borders?
punish both the aggressor and the victim of that aggression?
for every tango it needs two persons..same here..this verbal fight is not from now..there is no agressor or victim…sometime Turkey provoke sometime Greece! that is why I think it should be a common sense from both sides.
Well are you familiar with the greeco Turkish border line?
In 1922 Greece and Turkey signed the treate of Lausanne which was very specific on who is the owner of the Aegean Islands that used to belong to the ottoman empire
Later after after ww2 the islands of Aegean and Ionian sea that belonged to Italy was also handed over to Greece
From 1944 until 1977 Turkey didn’t questioned those trietes until oil was found right of the island of Samothraki
Since then almost every 10 years we have Turkish aggressions of all sorts
In,1986 we almost got to war after a Turkish war ship escorting a sea floor mapping one opened fire against the Greek navy that was trying to move them out of Greek territorial waters
In 1996 we almost got in war with turkey over the rock islands of imia
And we was forced to accept the ” no flags” policy in a sign of good will
And what we got was turkey in 2000s threatening as with war if we don’t deactivate our AA missiles ( the s300 dispute)
Turkey is still threatening with war Greece and one of the reasons of the financial problems of Greece its the arm’s race
We are forced to keep up against a country 10 times our size
Also honestly what would be your reaction when the leader of a parties in power makes repeating statements threatening your country’s border population with genocide ( grey wolfs – we are going to throw you into sea, refrens to the 1922 genocide of the Greek population of Turkey) and then few days later the leader of the other party in power
Tells you to demilitarise that said borders? It’s like saying ” open the door so I can come in and butcher your family”
Ps There is always an aggressor
Unless you believe that Poland did anything justify the 3rd Reich invasion..
I watched a Bulgarian TV program, where there was a flash back from the past about the escalation of tension between Greece and Turkey. I think it was during the time of communism in Bulgaria in 1974. It was about the invasion of Turkey into Cyprus. At this time the Greek prime minister asked the Bulgarian dictator Todor Zhivkov a question.
That question was: “If we go into war with Turkey over Cyprus, do you promise that Bulgaria will not interfere in the conflict and that you will not cause us trouble?” The Bulgarian prime minister Todor Zhivkov said:”I promise I will not interfere in the conflict between Greece and Turkey”
This means that Bulgaria will not occupy Greece and they will not support Turkey. However this means that Bulgaria will not join Greece in the war with Turkey since they promised not to get involved in the war between the two countries.
Europe has to defend Greece of course…
Did you knew that the Greeks do not use the Turkish name of the city Istanbul, but they call it Constantinople. The Greeks have a name for every Turkish city in both the European part of Turkey and in the Asian part as well. I think if Greece and Turkey fight, the Greeks will conquer only the European part of Turkey and all the Aegean islands, but not the Asian part of Turkey. The reason is I think that if the Greeks take the Asian part of Turkey they will not be a European country anymore.
Seriously!!! West Europe is far away from Turkey…
The EU should send a clear message to Turkey, the aggressor, that war and theft is not how to resolve disputes. Negotiations and legal agreements must be made. Also, the EU could suggest that Turkey gives back the occupied North of Cyprus it invaded and stole in return for some Cypriot gas fields. Turkey is too used to killing people to steal their land and/or resources. It is time the EU took a strong stand against Turkey’s current dangerous and murderous dictator and thief. The EU sucks when it acts weak because it panders to EU member states who have Turkey as their customer for defence of trade sales so they let Turkey get away with murder, literally.
All europe is with greece …throw turkey out of nato…they cant affford a war anyhow …and boycot Them
The turkey has one goal to change the boders in the Mediterranean you must understand that Greek will not let to happen a second little Asian catastrophe or to separate the aegan see. We must understand is not Erdogan the problem, the European European Union – EU must give a massage on politicians of turkey forget it Erdogan. And we must be ready for war if we want to keep the peace
Erdogan wants money, so pay him and the problem is solved.
Europe, has to support Greece, however the USA needs Turkey for its military bases and they are interested Turkey to stay as a part of NATO. They USA will not allow two NATO allies to fight with each other.