Turkey sets off alarm bells again over its exploration in the Aegean Sea

Turkey and Greece appeared to have moved closer on their long-standing dispute over hydrocarbon exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean, and now in the Aegean Sea. Last month Ankara and Athens met in Istanbul for "exploratory contacts" to see if they can indeed sit down in the future to conclude a mutually satisfactory deal. This was a major step forward between the two countries, after the dialogue came to a complete standstill in 2016.

Furthermore, and in light of the new Biden Administration, which would not be as accommodating to the Eurasian country as the previous Trump Administration, Turkey seemed ready to return to the path of centrism and resume relations with the European Union. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan himself, during a video conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, expressed his desire for a summit to be organised in the first half of the year between Turkey and the EU. 

Even so, the EU welcomes this gesture with caution, as it is not the first time that Turkey has tried to bring the EU and Turkey closer together, but it is true that the serious situation facing the Turkish economy has forced Erdogan to backtrack and put aside the fraternal rhetoric of recent months in order to seek a return to normality in terms of relations with the European Union.

Despite all these good gestures by Ankara, Erdogan has not been able to suppress his expansionist impulses, and Turkey will once again carry out inspections in disputed waters, this time in the Aegean Sea. The Turkish navy has issued a communiqué stating that the research vessel "Cesme" will carry out a hydrographic survey from 18 February to 2 March in an area of international waters in which both Greece and Turkey share interests. Ankara says that the explorations will be carried out in the international waters of the Aegean. They add that it will be limited to the surface of the sea.

Greece has already expressed its disapproval and sent a letter to the Turkish embassy in Athens and the Turkish foreign ministry in Ankara denouncing the new expedition. "It is an unnecessary measure that does not help positive sentiment," Greek government spokesman Christos Tarantilis told the press. The area to which Ankara warned that the "Cesme" would be moved is only seven miles from Lemnos and Agios Efstratios and about 10 miles east of Skyros.

This new Turkish incursion comes days after Mediterranean and Arab countries, including Greece and Cyprus, held a "Friendship Forum" to which Turkey was not invited. Ankara accused Greece of sabotaging its efforts to move closer to the EU. Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy shared a written statement on the Philia Forum meeting in Athens (Friendship Forum), recalling that no "Forum" on the region without the participation of key Turkey and Turkish Cypriots can claim to be successful.

Aksoy also recalled that Turkey has repeatedly called for the organisation of a regional conference on the Eastern Mediterranean, with the participation of all sovereign countries, including the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. In this context, the adoption of such an approach is a sign of hostility towards Turkey, he argued, adding that it "sabotages the EU's efforts for unity in the Mediterranean".

The deep rift between Greece and Turkey appears unbridgeable, with rudeness continuing on both sides, despite a lukewarm rapprochement during the 61st round of talks on the Eastern Mediterranean, which are expected to resume, albeit without a specific date, in Athens.