Can Turkey and Greece avoid armed conflict in the Mediterranean? | Inside Story

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