Inside Story

Are Turkey and Greece closer to an armed conflict?

Greece has sent warships to Crete after Turkey and Libya signed a controversial deal dividing the sea.

Greece and Turkey are at odds over a host of issues but the latest has pushed them closer to a military confrontation.

Turkey has signed a deal with Libya that maps out a boundary in the east of the Mediterranean Sea, but in the middle is the Greek island of Crete.

There are fears the agreement will further complicate disputes over drilling for yet-untapped oil and gas in waters around the ethnically divided island nation of Cyprus.

Israel and Egypt are also involved in this increasingly bitter controversy.

The maritime boundary separates what Turkey and Libya have agreed will be their Exclusive Economic Zones.

They say this gives them full rights to exploit natural resources including oil and gas.

Presenter: Halla Mohieddeen

Guests:

Ege Seckin – Political risk analyst focusing on Turkey at IHS Markit 

Matthew Bryza – Senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center and Global Energy Center and a former US diplomat

Anas El Gomati – General-director of the Sadeq Institute