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Greece Rejects NATO Bid to De-Escalate Tensions With Turkey

Anthee Carassava

   ATHENS - Athens Thursday denied NATO Secretary General Jens
   Stoltenberg's earlier statement that Greece and Turkey had agreed to
   "technical talks" to avoid military clashes in the region. The move,
   critics say, dashes hopes of a breakthrough in rising tension in the
   eastern Mediterranean.
   Greek government spokesman Stelios Petsas said the NATO chief's
   announcement did not correspond to reality. He said a series of
   conditions must first be met before Athens even begins to consider
   talks with Ankara.
   "We want Turkey to abandon its provocative stance and come to the
   negotiating table with sincere interest. Negotiations cannot be held
   under threats and blackmail, the spokesman said.
   Greece, Petsas said, will be neither terrorized or threatened --
   diplomatic longhand for a Greek ultimatum calling on Turkey to pull
   back an exploration ship it has sent to the eastern Mediterranean, near
   a cluster of Greek islands, to search for undersea oil and gas.
   Escorted by a fleet of Turkish battleships, the Oruc Reis survey vessel
   has drawn the attention of the entire Greek fleet, which has been
   watching its every move for over a month now, ready to retaliate if, as
   the Greek government has said, it attempts to drill in areas of the
   seabed Greece claims as its own.
   Turkey rejects the claims, saying islands are not entitled to what is
   known as an exclusive economic zone. Ankara instead believes it has the
   right to explore the oil- and mineral-rich eastern Mediterranean seabed
   after a recent maritime agreement it concluded with Libya.

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