[Global Issue+] Greece-Turkey Renew 'Century-Long War' in Eastern Mediterranean

Conflicts Among NATO Countries Under One Roof... NATO in a Dilemma
Ukraine, Belarus Security and Central Asian Security Also Threatened

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Concerns are growing that the situation will escalate further as France has expressed its intention to intervene in the maritime sovereignty dispute between Greece and Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean. Greece, Turkey, and France are all members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and especially since France and Turkey are military powers competing for the top two positions in NATO's military strength, fears of conflict are increasing. NATO's position is becoming even more difficult as it is already struggling with security threats from Russia, including indications of Russian involvement in the political unrest in Belarus. There are even concerns that Turkey's expansion of its frontlines, deeply involved in Middle Eastern conflicts such as those in Syria, Iraq, and Libya, could threaten security in the Middle East as well.

On the 12th (local time), according to foreign media including the British daily The Guardian, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an warned French President Emmanuel Macron at a symposium commemorating the 40th anniversary of the 1980 Turkish coup d'?tat, saying, "Do not touch Turkey and the Turkish people." He also harshly criticized France by mentioning the past genocides in France's former colonies Algeria and Rwanda, stating, "France has no right to talk about humanity."

This statement is interpreted as a response to President Macron's criticism on the 10th at a summit of seven Southern European countries?France, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain, Greece, and Cyprus?where he said, "We will not recognize Turkey as a partner in the Eastern Mediterranean." France had previously declared a direct confrontation with Turkey by announcing an increase in its troop deployment to the Eastern Mediterranean amid the intensifying maritime sovereignty dispute between Greece and Turkey.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In fact, the maritime sovereignty dispute between Greece and Turkey is not a recent issue. It is part of a conflict that has lasted over 100 years since World War I. Since Greece gained independence in 1830 under the protection of major powers such as Britain, France, and Russia, it has stood opposite Turkey through events like the Cretan War in 1896, the Balkan Wars in 1911, and World War I in 1914. From 1919 to 1922, immediately after World War I, the two countries engaged in full-scale war. In Turkey, Kemal Pasha, who emerged as a hero of this war, dismantled the Ottoman Turkish Empire and declared the Republic of Turkey, marking the birth of the modern Turkish state.

Since then, relations between the two countries have remained strained, with no possibility of negotiations on land or maritime territorial boundaries or the division of Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ), leading to ongoing localized conflicts. Ultimately, regarding EEZ demarcation, Turkey signed an agreement solely with Syria, and in response, Greece signed an agreement solely with Egypt, deepening the bilateral conflict.

With France, which possesses the strongest military power within both NATO and the European Union (EU), declaring its intention to intervene in this issue, the situation has become even more complicated. Turkey and France are the top two military powers within NATO, and with European security already unstable due to the UK's exit from the EU, the reduction of U.S. troops in Germany, political unrest in Belarus, and indications of Russian involvement, there are growing concerns that a direct conflict between these two countries could seriously threaten the NATO system in Europe.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

NATO has only expressed its intention to mediate but has yet to find an effective solution. If the conflict between European countries and Turkey intensifies, Turkey might take the drastic step of withdrawing from NATO, and if its ties with Russia deepen, security in Eastern Europe could be further threatened.

Additionally, Turkey is deeply involved in Middle Eastern conflicts such as those in Syria, Iraq, and Libya. If localized warfare in the Eastern Mediterranean intensifies and Turkey significantly reduces its troops or withdraws from these regions, the balance of power in the Middle East could shift dramatically, posing a chain reaction of security threats to the region, which is causing even greater concern.

These sudden regional security issues have often been managed by the United States, known as the world's policeman, but the Trump administration has clearly stated it has no intention to do so. Following the reduction of U.S. troops in Germany, the administration has also declared plans to significantly reduce U.S. forces stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan, signaling a withdrawal from conflict zones. There are growing worries that the security situation in Europe and the Middle East is heading into an unpredictable and precarious state.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.