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91. Athens open to talks but not so fast

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias has welcomed a recent move from Turkey towards de-escalation in the region, saying Athens was open to dialogue but not on all things...

92. Ankara stands down pending dialogue

Turkey could pause energy-exploration operations in the eastern Mediterranean Sea for a while pending talks with Greece, presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on Tuesday...

93. NAVTEX warnings muddy the waters off Cyprus

Rival navigational warnings and conflicting information about naval exercises in the eastern Mediterranean dominated headlines over the weekend, with Germany appearing to be behind a last-ditch effort to buy time and de-escalate tensions between Greece and Turkey...

94. Greece ‘overreacted’ to Turkish research mission, Erdogan spokesman says

Ibrahim Kalin, spokesman of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said Thursday that Greece had “overreacted” to plans by Turkey to proceed with an oil-and-gas research mission south of Greek islands in the Eastern Mediterranean....

95. Armed Forces source: ‘Situation unchanged’ near Kastellorizo

The situation “remain unchanged” in the sea area near the Greek island of Kastellorizo on Wednesday for which Turkey issued a Navtex on Tuesday for seismic activities in an area of sea between Cyprus and Crete, according to a source from the Hellenic National Defense General Staff (GEETHA)....

96. Greek armed forces on alert over Turkish exploration off Kastellorizo

The Antalya Navtex station on Tuesday announced plans for a Turkish seismic survey south and east of the Greek island of Kastellorizo from July 21-August 2....

97. Cyprus among five countries that present UNSG with note verbale on Tukey-Libya MoU

Cyprus, Bahrain, Egypt, Greece and Saudi Arabia have presented a note verbale to the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterrres, outlining the reasons why the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Government of the Republic of Turkey and the Government of National Accord of Libya on the delimitation of maritime jurisdiction areas in the Mediterranean in Istanbul on 27 November 2019 should not be registered by the UN Secretariat in the list of international treaties....

98. UNSG report on his good offices in Cyprus obtained by Kathimerini Cyprus

The 39-page advance copy of the Report of the UN Secretary-General on his mission of good offices in Cyprus was obtained by Kathimerini Cyprus....

99. Ankara sparks renewed tensions with Athens over claim for 24 blocks

Ankara on Tuesday responded to a complaint from Athens concerning a map published in the Turkish government’s gazette outlining areas where Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) has applied for exploration licenses, including several within Greece’s continental shelf, by insisting that these areas are within the boundaries Turkey has submitted to the United Nations. ...

100. France stands by Greece and Cyprus, says French Defense Minister

France will stand by Greece and Cyprus, supporting both in their disputes with Turkey over maritime zones in the Mediterranean, French Defence Minister Florence Parly was quoted saying in a Greek newspaper on Sunday....

101. Turkey blocks Cyprus from Geneva conference

Turkey has blocked a request from the Republic of Cyprus to take part in the global Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, as an adversarial relationship between the two countries is growing more intense...

102. Libya blames maritime tensions on Greece

Libya has slammed Greece in a recent letter to the United Nations, accusing Athens of refusing to play fair, while US State Secretary Mike Pompeo says he is taking on a new initiative to de-escalate Greco-Turkish tensions over maritime borders...

103. Athens says Ankara 'playing with fire'

Athens says Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is “playing with fire” as he seeks parliament approval to send military troops into Libya, following a formal request from Tripoli...

104. Diplomatic hype over eastern Mediterranean

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias attended Christmas Mass in Istanbul amid diplomatic tensions and power play between Athens and Ankara over gas exploration in the eastern Mediterranean...

105. Greece-Turkey dialogue kept alive

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Wednesday he discussed with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan “all the issues" that have recently increased tensions between the two countries during a meeting on the sidelines of NATO’s 70th birthday gathering in London...

106. US affirm commitment to eastern Mediterranean

State Secretary Mike Pompeo underlined the commitment of the United States in the Eastern Mediterranean and the deepening of bilateral relations with the Republic of Cyprus on security...

107. Spokesman says Turkey invaded Cypriot waters

Cypriot government spokesman Prodromos Prodromou has condemned Turkish activities inside Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) describing it as an invasion of the Mediterranean island’s maritime domain...

108. Britain begins escorting all UK vessels through Hormuz Strait

Britain has started sending a warship to accompany all British-flagged vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, a change in policy announced on Thursday after the government previously said it did not have resources to do so. ...

109. Bloomberg: Turkey has abandoned the West

In an opinion piece Bloomberg's editorial board writes that Turkey is an increasingly erratic ally that is no longer worth the risks. ...

110. State Department expresses ‘deep concerns’ over Turkish drilling off Cyprus

Washington expressed “deep concerns” over Turkey’s insistence on conducting drilling operations in Cyprus’ offshore maritime zone ...

111. Mitsotakis sworn in as PM amid east Med tensions

Conservative politician Kyriakos Mitsotakis was sworn in as Greece’s new prime minister on Monday after storming to victory on a pledge to create jobs and lure investment to the economically stricken nation...

112. France urges Ankara to avoid provocations in Cyprus waters

113. State Department to Ankara: We discourage any actions that increase tension

114. Cyprus energy search – averting a US-Turkey crisis

Cyprus continues to proceed with offshore oil and gas projects despite Turkey's opposition...

115. Greece's Souda Bay naval base is ‘world-class’

Greece’s military base in Souda Bay, Crete, is an “essential hub” for NATO operations in the Mediterranean, combining world-class facilities with access to North Africa, the Commander of Allied Joint Force Command Naples and US Naval Forces Europe and Africa, US Navy Admiral James Foggo....

116. Turkey and Greece ratchet up tension in the Mediterranean

With help from rabble-rousers on both sides, disputes over airspace and maritime borders, which have poisoned relations between Greece and Turkey for decades...