small Greek island popular with jet-setters, flags flew at half-mast on July 24th. Church bells tolled every hour in protest against Turkey’s transformation of the Hagia Sophia, in Byzantine times the grandest cathedral in Christendom, from museum to mosque. That was not the islanders’ only concern.
The dispute has simmered for years. Turkish drilling ships periodically sail into exploration blocks off Cyprus to underline Turkish demands for a stake in potentially lucrative gasfields. This time the target was Kastellorizo, a far-flung Greek island opposite Kas, a pleasant resort town on the Turkish mainland. Tourist ferries between the two have been suspended this year because of covid-19. A couple of warships now cruise the area instead. Fighter jets occasionally split the sky above.
Turkey and Greece are staking competing claims to the waters between them, and the energy riches that may lie beneath the waves. Greece holds that its islands, even the smallest, have continental shelves where it has the sole right to drill. The, an American aircraft-carrier, accompanied by 12 smaller vessels, recently held a joint exercise with a Greek frigate and several Greek-16 fighter jets off the island of Crete. Meanwhile, France threatened to slap Turkey with sanctions.
. An island like Kastellorizo, only a couple of kilometres offshore from Turkey, should not be able to generate 40,000 square km of maritime jurisdiction, says an official in Ankara. To make its point, Mr Erdogan’s government last year signed an agreement with Libya’s-backed government which it says gives Turkey the right to waters off Crete and other Greek islands.
Agreement does seem possible. After a phone call between Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, and Mr Erdogan, Turkey said on July 28th that it would suspend plans to drill off Kastellorizo and give talks a chance. Thestayed tied up in port. In return, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Greek prime minister, offered to meet the Turks in Berlin, if calm prevails in the Aegean for the rest of the summer. That is hardly guaranteed.
EU is not capitalized in the third sentence of the fourth paragraph of this article
It is time for this foreign body at the edge of Europe to return to her dear Mongolia !!!
Turkey has turned out to be a bully under dictator Edrogan. It’s diaspora in Europe are now hated for him and his policies.
be ready Turks are coming back to the stage of history. we just started
There are many issues like this and the well known example is English channel between England and France (1978). The most equitable way is looking into the size of the land 😉
Perhaps the global community should stop recognizing Turkey
Turkey needs to fo asap
The problem occurs from invasion of Greece some islands in Agean Sea belongs to Turkey.
Send in the Greek Navy and undispute the Sea ASAP, it might give the Turks something to think about? Seems Turkey has seen China get away with it in their backyard and are trying the same.
those regions belong to Turkish territorial waters.the islands have such a status. Greek demands are against international law.
Turks and Greeks must really like each other
They must not like thanksgiving
Turkey and Greece have been avoiding war for decades. One day it'll finally happen and the world will rejoice
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