At a time when a peaceful resolution of the disputes between the Eastern Mediterranean countries is being attempted, Turkey chooses to poison the climate. The expansion of Turkish provocations and violations in the Aegean has brought a new crisis in Greek-Turkish relations, leading Athens to decide to put on ice the military confidence-building measures agreed by the two parties.
Indicative of the tense climate, the statements made by officials of the two countries in the past 48 hours are indicative of the tense climate. One side accused the other of provocative behavior and tension, as has been common in such cases for decades. But the problem is that this round of disputes is taking place in the shadow of behind-the-scenes consultations on possible regional cooperation in the energy sector. Consultations held under the auspices of the State Department.
While Washington is subtly trying to explore whether there is fertile ground for solutions to the problems between the countries of our region, Turkey is rushing to put another problem on the map. After all, it traditionally focuses on problems and not on solutions, as we know very well from the Cyprus problem.
It should be noted that Turkey made sure to poison the atmosphere just a few days after US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that the delivery of US weapons to Ankara should be accelerated. A statement that is naturally linked both to Washington's initiative for our region and to the war in Ukraine and the neighbouring country's relations with the Russian Federation.
White House discussion
The escalation of Turkish provocativeness, amid efforts to restore relations between our neighbouring countries, will be the focus of the discussion that Mitsotakis and Biden will have in Washington on May 16.
The Greek Prime Minister will go to the American capital with a positive agenda, but this does not mean that he will let the new Turkish provocations and violations go unnoticed. He will make a detailed presentation of all aspects of Turkey's behaviour, including its provocative moves against Cyprus.
He will do so mainly to send a strong message to Washington. He wants to show the US President in practice which is the country that has been violating international law over time and constantly obstructing any effort to solve the region's problems. The country that refuses to cooperate on the basis of the agreed framework by almost all the Eastern Mediterranean states. The "player" that obsessively seeks to put its own terms and interests on the map.
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