Two NATO partners face each other head-on in the eastern Mediterranean. The EU takes the side of member Greece. Sanctions against Turkey are in the air. Foreign Minister Maas now wants to arbitrate.
Berlin / Athens / Ankara (dpa) - Germany is increasing its mediation efforts in the dispute between Greece and Turkey over natural gas in the eastern Mediterranean.
Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD) is traveling to Athens and Ankara this Tuesday. Germany is trying to ensure that both countries clarify contentious issues directly with each other, said a spokesman for the Federal Foreign Office on Monday in Berlin.
When asked whether a military conflict between the two NATO partners was possible, the spokesman said that the tensions were being taken very seriously. Now we need signals of de-escalation. The tensions are already straining relations between the EU and Turkey.
The EU member Greece has so far excluded a direct dialogue as long as the research of the Turkish ship "Oruc Reis" continues. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in turn, stressed on Monday evening that his country would "not take a step back".
Greece accuses Turkey of illegally exploring natural gas reserves off the Greek islands. The EU has also condemned the Turkish actions and asked Ankara to stop them. The government in Ankara, on the other hand, takes the position that the waters in which natural gas is being drilled on a trial basis belong to the Turkish continental shelf.
Government spokesman Steffen Seibert underlined that Germany and France have the same goal of a peaceful settlement in the conflict, even if the ways to get there are different. To symbolically support EU member Greece, French President Emmanuel Macron increased the military presence in the region. Germany tends to act as a mediator.
The tensions persist, however: the Greek armed forces remain on alert for the time being, as reported by state television. On Sunday the Turkish Navy announced that the search would be extended until August 27. The research was originally supposed to end on Sunday evening. The spokesman for the Foreign Office said that they regret this announcement.
An informal meeting of EU foreign ministers is planned in Berlin this week. Germany currently holds the Council Presidency in the EU. The relationship with Turkey should certainly play a role at the meeting. The spokesman did not want to comment on suspicions that there could be sanctions against Turkey.
According to the information, Maas will consult with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens. He then travels to Ankara to speak to his counterpart Mevlüt Cavusoglu. Maas expected back in Berlin in the evening.
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