Erdogan ‘trying to start a war in the Med’

Turkish leader in new provocation with oil survey ship in Greek waters

Recep Tayyip Erdogan was accused on Sunday of trying to provoke an armed naval confrontation in the eastern Mediterranean when a Turkish survey ship extended its controversial search for oil and gas in Greek territorial waters.

The Oruc Reis seismic research vessel had been expected to return to port, but instead moved operations to an area 16 nautical miles off the island of Rhodes and 50 nautical miles from the island of Kastellorizo, both in Greece’s exclusive economic zone. The Turkish president’s aggression re-ignited regional tensions after the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that hit Turkey and Greece last week, which had been expected to lead to a period of “earthquake diplomacy,” as happened in 1999. “This action creates further tension in a vulnerable region in which attention is now focused on the provision of assistance and on expressions of support and solidarity,” the Greek government said.

“These actions show once again that Turkey is continuing to act in defiance of the appeals of the international community, including the conclusions of the October meeting of the European Council, which called on Turkey to cease.” EU leaders agreed on Oct. 2 to give Turkey until early December to reconsider its moves in eastern Mediterranean before sanctions were imposed.

Seth J. Frantzman, executive director of the Middle East Center for Reporting and Analysis, described Erdogan’s actions as “provocative … the latest crisis pushed by Ankara.” He told Arab News: “Turkey has done it numerous times in the past several months, shifting from one crisis to another. Now Turkey is moving on from having incited against France and Armenia to attacking Greece.

“It is made even more shameful by the recent earthquake, when Greece and others had offered Turkey aid and Ankara’s response is a naval provocation and threat.”

The dispute began in August when Erdogan sent the Oruc Reis into Greek and Cypriot waters. Ankara withdrew the vessel in September to allow for diplomacy before an Oct. 2 EU summit, at which Cyprus and Greece demanded sanctions. The vessel resumed operations on Oct. 12, prompting European anger and concerns about a military conflict between Turkey and Greece. Evangelos D. Kokkinos, a geopolitical expert in Athens, said Erdogan’s strategy was to provoke Athens into starting such a conflict, so that NATO would support Turkey. “This is why the tension will remain in what seems like the Mediterranean Cold War,” he said.