Erdogan warns Greece: "We will not back down in the Mediterranean

The climate in the eastern Mediterranean waters is getting warmer with every passing week. A few days ago, the European Union (EU) was considering sanctions against Ankara, but this response from Brussels to Turkish activity in what is supposed to be a Greek Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) did not make Recep Tayyip Erdogan back down in his interest in these waters, and this Monday the Turkish president warned Athens that they will not back down in the Mediterranean: "We will not back down as far as the Turkish drilling ship and the protection ships that accompany it in the Mediterranean".
 
Erdogan criticised the Navtex warning - or international maritime security message - that the Greek authorities had made, as an act that threatens the coastal and navigational security of all ships in the region. "Greece declared its own Navtex illegally and in bad form (...) With this approach, Greece has sown chaos from which it will not be able to escape," said Erdogan, quoted by Reuters. 

For its part, Greece will begin military exercises with live fire for three days in the south-east of the Greek island of Crete, according to Greek officials, which Erdogan has described as an "act that endangers coastal security". The Turkish president, in his speech, blamed Greece for "all the disputes in the region". 

In view of this exchange of declarations and actions, Germany has intensified diplomatic efforts to prevent tensions between the two countries from increasing, sending its foreign minister, Heiko Mass, to Athens and Ankara. "In our view, direct dialogue and measures by both sides to calm the situation are necessary to find a solution to (reduce) the tensions," said German Foreign Ministry spokesman Christofer Burger.

Germany, which holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, has expressed its concern and said that "they could have even more serious consequences". Berlin is reluctant to impose sanctions on Turkey and a meeting of EU foreign ministers is expected to take place in the German capital this week to address the crisis in the eastern Mediterranean. The dispute between the two NATO members over the rights of the Mediterranean Sea has had repercussions throughout Europe.

Tensions between Greece and Turkey rose at the beginning of August after Ankara sent the Oruç Reis, a survey vessel, escorted by warships, to carry out seismic exploration in the waters both countries claim as their own and in response to the agreement signed between Greece and Egypt over the EEZ. This action of Ankara made all the alarms sound in Athens and in the Greek army, and the Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, decided to send Greek frigates to follow the Turkish ship.

This conflict for the economic rights in this area has kept Turkey and Greece in tension for weeks, in a situation that is on the edge of a military clash. Although this dispute has been going on for more than a decade when a big natural gas field was discovered in this area. Turkey has already warned that it will not relent in its quest for energy in the eastern Mediterranean.