Concerns grow in Athens, Nicosia over Turkish activity

Greek defense officials and diplomats are on standby amid concerns about possible developments in the Eastern Mediterranean over the coming weeks as Turkey seeks to entrench its presence in the region, Kathimerini understands.

The increased activity of Turkish ships off the coast of Cyprus, indications that Ankara might dispatch a third ship to the region and the possible deployment of a long-range S-400 Russian missile-defense system along the southern Turkish coast, are fueling concerns in Athens and Nicosia.

Last Friday the Cypriot Foreign Ministry briefed European Union state ambassadors on escalating Turkish aggression. In Athens meanwhile there are worries about a spike in Turkish violations of Greek airspace and rhetoric about the rights of the Muslim minority in Thrace.