German FM on Eastern Mediterranean "A spark could lead to disaster"

Athens, Greece (AP): Germany's foreign minister appealed Tuesday for a de-escalation of tensions 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.”

Maas said he had traveled to Athens with two messages: “One message is that Germany and the whole European Union stand by Greece in firm solidarity,” he said. “The other — equally important — message is that what we now need absolutely and immediately are signals of de-escalation and a readiness for dialogue.”

Dendias said Greece “has proved that it is and remains always ready for dialogue.”

However, he said, “there cannot be dialogue under threats, there cannot be dialogue under provocations and ultimately dialogue cannot be considered, not only for Greece but for any state, when its sovereign rights and sovereignty are being violated.”

The Greek foreign minister accused Turkey of displaying “neo-Ottoman” ideology, referring to Ankara’s perceived desire to revive the Ottoman Turkish empire that once ruled most of the east Mediterranean, including what is now Greece.

He insisted Athens would protect its sovereign rights and interests against its much bigger and more heavily armed neighbor.

“As we speak, Turkey continues to act illegally, to escalate, to provoke,” Dendias said. “Instead of a de-escalation, we are witnessing new provocations. We are witnessing the attempt to implement expansionist aims against neighbors and allies.”

Maas’s visit comes as Greece begins a navy and air force exercise southeast of Crete and south of the Greek island of Kastellorizo.

On Monday, Greek and U.S. military ships and aircraft also conducted joint drills south of Crete, Greek officials said Tuesday.

Turkey’s Defense Ministry tweeted that two Turkish frigates and an Italian destroyer also conducted training in the eastern Mediterranean Tuesday “to improve coordination and interoperability.” A Turkish official had said the training would last for a few hours only.