Tensions have returned to the skies over the Aegean as Turkey signals a resumption of tactics abandoned after February 2023, a development anticipated in diplomatic circles monitoring relations.

Turkey’s Defense Ministry indicated a return to violations of Greece’s national airspace in the Aegean, confirming concerns that the momentum from confidence-building efforts has faded. The slowdown reflected different readings in Athens and Ankara of the Athens Declaration signed in December 2023.

For Greece, the declaration highlighted the need for goodwill as a basis for future discussion of difficult disputes. For Turkey, the language was understood to imply a moratorium in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean.

Ankara first sent a message in July 2024, when it effectively halted research connected to the Greece-Cyprus electricity linkup. Subsequent Greek steps, including the submission of a maritime spatial planning framework and the granting of two offshore blocks south of Crete to the US’ Chevron, strengthened arguments among Turkish hardliners who say Greece acted “in violation” of understandings.

This came despite what is described as Greece’s clumsy handling of the Chevron case, which angered Egypt because it was not informed in advance of a move following the spatial planning submission.

In recent months, after the cancellation of a planned meeting between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in New York and Erdogan’s later meeting with Donald Trump at the White House, tensions became clearer. Incidents involving Turkish fishing vessels inside Greek territorial waters increased, with a confrontation between Greek coast guard vessels and a Turkish patrol boat off Agathonisi taking place a few weeks ago.

The latest escalation followed a warning by Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler that any deployment of missile systems on Aegean islands would violate what Turkey considers their demilitarized status. Ankara has also objected to the Israeli origin of some systems, viewing Greece’s convergence with Israel as an “anti-Turkish” alliance.

That view was reinforced at a trilateral summit Monday in Jerusalem involving Israel, Greece and Cyprus. The following day, Greek and Turkish F-16s engaged in a mock dogfight between Lesvos and Limnos during an interception.

Speaking from Samos, Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said Greece threatens no one and has expressed no territorial claims, but remains determined to defend its sovereignty and rights, calling this a constitutional duty.

Source: Ekathimerini.com