Turkey, Greece look for calm Eastern Mediterranean summer

Turkish foreign minister’s visit to Greece marks a small victory after a year of tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Nearly a year ago, the Eastern Mediterranean was simmering with disputes over maritime borders between historic rivals Greece and Turkey. Fresh off recent military advances in Libya, Ankara dispatched drilling vessels to contested waters in the Mediterranean, while Greece mobilised support from Turkey’s regional rivals – Egypt, France and the United Arab Emirates – to push back on what it saw as Turkish excursions into its lawful waters. As tensions rose, a military buildup ensued in the Mediterranean as Greece sent frigates to shadow the Turkish vessels and in August, two warships collided as they tried to pass each other.