Greece and Turkey Tensions Increase

Greek and Turkish naval forces are gathering in the eastern Mediterranean Sea over the past several weeks as tensions between the two old foes increase.

Rhetoric between Athens and Istanbul have ratcheted up lately, in part due to the re-conversion of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul from a museum back to a mosque.  Prior to the Turkish conquest of Istanbul in 1453 (then called Constantinople), the Hagia Sophia was a Greek Orthodox church.  More serious though, is the long-standing dispute over economic control of vast swaths of the eastern Mediterranean Sea between Greece, Turkey, and Cyprus.  This part of the sea is rich in oil and natural gas.

Greece and Turkey have a long history of warfare and hostility between them, and, just in the past two hundred years or so, many Greco-Turkish Wars between them.

Analysts and international observers are increasingly concerned that an actual war could break out between these two erstwhile NATO allies. 

#Turkey’s drilling ship Oruc Reis has turned off its AIS and has set sail from #Antalya. The mobilization of #Greece & #Turkey forces in #EastMed is unprecedented. It’s extremely likely that there’s going to be a showdown today. pic.twitter.com/pChzyazXC6

— George Mastropavlos (@g_mastropavlos) August 10, 2020

Updates on this breaking war and conflict news event will happen as events warrant.