US, Germany tell Turkey to stop provoking Greece
Turkey’s two key Western allies, the United States and Germany, on Tuesday urged it to pull back a ship it has returned to waters contested with Greece, with Washington denouncing the “calculated provocation”.
The Turkish navy said on Sunday that the Oruc Reis exploration vessel was heading back to energy-rich eastern Mediterranean waters between the Greek island of Crete and Cyprus, weeks after it left amid an agreement for talks.
In a strongly worded statement, the State Department said the US “deplores” the decision by Turkey and noted that Greece “asserts jurisdiction” over areas where the ship plans to operate until Oct 22.
“We urge Turkey to end this calculated provocation and immediately begin exploratory talks with Greece,” State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said.
“Turkey’s announcement unilaterally raises tensions in the region and deliberately complicates the resumption of crucial exploratory talks between our Nato allies Greece and Turkey.
“Coercion, threats, intimidation and military activity will not resolve tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean.”
Turkey l ast sent the ship i nto contested waters in August backed by warships, alarming both Greece and Cyprus, which is partially occupied by Ankara.
Greece responded by staging military exercises but tensions eased when both Ankara and Athens agreed to talk through the crisis.
Greece said on Tuesday there could be no diplomatic solution until the ship is withdrawn.
Greece “will not sit at the table for exploratory talks while the ‘Oruc Reis’ and escorting warships are out there”, Minister of State George Gerapetritis told Parapolitika radio.
He said Athens would “emphatically” raise the dispute at a European council meeting today.
Turkey hit back at the US statement, noting that Washington does not recognise the so-called Seville Map by Spanish scholars that is cited by Greece for its maritime claims.
“It is thus a serious contradiction for the US to criticise Oruc Reis’ seismic survey activities as carried out within the Turkish continental shelf,” a foreign ministry statement said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last month said the withdrawal of the ship was a chance to give diplomacy a chance.
But Turkish officials also insisted the ship was only undergoing planned maintenance.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, visiting Cyprus before heading to Greece, said that Turkey “must end the cycle of detente and provocation”.
“It is now up to Turkey to create those conditions and the climate so that there is the possibility of conducting exploratory talks without further challenges,” Mr Maas told reporters in Nicosia.
“And the moment that this vessel embarks on a new search for hydrocarbons in the disputed maritime areas, this will truly be a serious blow to deescalation efforts.”
While France has staunchly backed Greece throughout the standoff with Turkey, Germany has irked many Greeks with what they perceive as a lowkey response by Europe’s largest economic power. Mr Erdogan has a cordial relationship with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has worked closely with Turkey.