German FM Warns A ‘Spark Could Lead To Disaster’ Amid Greece-Turkey Standoff

Germany’s foreign minister appealed Tuesday for a deescalation of tension in the eastern Mediterranean between NATO allies Greece and Turkey, warning that “any spark, however small, could lead to a disaster.” The two neighbors have been locked in an increasingly acrimonious dispute for weeks, placing their militaries on alert and sending warships to shadow each other, over maritime boundaries and offshore prospecting rights.

Both countries announced military exercises on Tuesday in sections of a broad area between Crete and Cyprus, where the Turkish research vessel Oruc Reis is carrying out seismic research escorted by Turkish warships. Greece says the vessel is over its own continental shelf, where it has exclusive rights on potential undersea gas and oil deposits, and has sent its own warships to shadow the Turkish flotilla. Turkey is also prospecting for hydrocarbons in waters where Cyprus claims exclusive economic rights.

“The current situation in the eastern Mediterranean is … playing with fire, and any spark, however small, could lead to a disaster,” German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said after meeting with his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias. “No one can have an interest in that, and certainly not in a military confrontation between NATO partners and neighbors.” -Full Report

NATO allies are facing off in the Eastern Mediterranean. The conflict could entangle the entire region

Are Turkey and Greece Heading for War?