Greece says ‘illegal’ actions of Turkey threaten NATO cohesion

Greece’s foreign minister on Tuesday said “illegal” behavior of Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean was threatening the cohesion of NATO and Ankara’s relations with the European Union.

Greece has long-running tensions with Turkey over a host of issues ranging from air and sea boundaries to ethnically-split Cyprus. Attempts by both Cyprus, a close ally of Greece, and Turkey at natural gas exploration in overlapping areas in the east Mediterranean have brought those disputes into sharper focus.

“The illegal and provocative behavior of Turkey has a serious backlash not only to peace and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean but to the cohesion of NATO and to its relations with the European Union,” Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said after a meeting with his German counterpart Heiko Maas in Athens.

[Reuters]