Marine park tension in the Mediterranean: Greek fighter jets scramble for Turkish UAV

The tension that escalated after Turkey declared two separate marine parks in the Northern Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean led to new military activity in recent days. According to reports in the Greek media, a Turkish UAV entered airspace controlled by Athens on Thursday. Following these developments, two Greek F-16 fighter jets took off urgently and were directed to intervene in the activities of the Turkish UAV.

Earlier this month, mutual interception maneuvers by Turkish and Greek fighter jets and the locking of weapon systems onto each other indicated that tensions in the region were rising rapidly. Especially after Turkey put the "Blue Homeland" law into effect, an increasing rigidity has been observed in Greece's stance.

COMPLAINT FROM GREECE TO BRUSSELS

The diplomatic dimension of the current crisis has become even more pronounced with the initiatives Athens has launched before the European Union and Ankara. Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis will lodge comprehensive complaints regarding the marine parks Turkey has declared in the region at the informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers. In the documents prepared for the meeting, the marine parks of the two countries will be compared in detail.

According to Greek officials, while the marine parks they have declared themselves are in compliance with international rules, Turkey's steps fall outside this framework. The Athens administration also delivered a diplomatic note to Ankara, conveying its official reaction to the issue.

The European Commission, while stating that it is closely monitoring the developments, used the expression, "The European Union expects Turkey to respect the sovereignty and sovereign rights of all EU member states."

STATEMENTS FROM THE PARTIES: THE DIFFICULTY OF DIALOGUE

Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis emphasized that a change in Turkey's position is not possible in the short term and used the following expressions: "Even with those with whom we have fundamental legal disputes, there must be communication to de-escalate tension and prevent crises."

Gerapetritis also said, "You are telling us, 'Yes, let's establish a dialogue with Turkey, but let Turkey not react.' But how naive is that? Do you really want us to talk to Turkey while expecting it to abandon positions it has maintained for decades? The difference is this: Turkey's reactions stem from Greece's attempts to defend its own sovereignty and sovereign rights on the ground for the first time. And if this situation creates discomfort, if our proactive diplomacy creates discomfort, this is not a matter that concerns us. We will continue to increase Greece's strength."

News Source: 12punto