Time magazine (said : Time ) US The conflict of interests east of the Mediterranean Sea is in a dangerous area infested with many issues, including energy, refugees and the status of Cyprus and the wars in Libya and Syria, and other power struggles in the region, with the decline of American influence.
The magazine included a number of points explaining the seriousness of the crisis, namely:
Why are tensions erupting between Turkey and Greece now?
In recent months, Turkey and Greece have sought to bolster their territorial claims by creating exclusive maritime economic zones with Libya and Egypt, respectively.
This was preceded by the known influx of migrants from the Middle East to Europe, when Ankara briefly implemented a long-awaited threat to "open the gates" to allow tens of thousands of asylum seekers to cross into Greece, provoking a hard-line response from Athens, including the use of violence against asylum seekers. Meanwhile, the European Union accused Turkey of using migrants as a bargaining tool.
Aya Sofia
Relations were further strained last July due to the re-conversion of Istanbul's Hagia Sophia Museum into a mosque, which led to the revival of a centuries-old conflict over one of the most contested religious buildings in the world, and angered Russia and Greece, the centers of Orthodox Christianity.
At the heart of the crisis
The list of states is long and complicated by the involvement of European countries and Turkey in the Middle East and North Africa, and beyond. The list includes Turkey, Russia, France, Greece, Libya, Syria, Egypt, and the Emirates, with Germany, Spain and Italy taking conciliatory positions.
What is Russia's position?
Russia has not yet issued a public statement on tensions between Greece and Turkey, but it maintains a firm presence in both the eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea, as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently announced the largest gas discovery in his country.
Greek media reported this week that the Russian Navy has 9 military ships between Cyprus and Syria, including 3 submarines.
And what did Washington say?
Despite the recent arrival of the USS Herschel Woody Williams on the Greek island of Crete, the White House has largely left Germany to mediate the crisis.
The truth - as the magazine sees - is that when the United States turns away from some issues and decides not to get involved in their administration, things get worse and Washington may be dragged again.
Does tension turn into hostilities?
It is increasingly likely, albeit unlikely. If violence erupts, it will be a disaster that cannot be mitigated, and both sides have expressed their desire to conduct negotiations. But as brinkmanship increases, so does the possibility of accidental escalation.
"We call on our counterparts to be smart and avoid mistakes that will lead to their destruction," Erdogan said on Wednesday.
There are a few moderate voices. At a time when Turkey's prospects for admission to the European Union are diminishing, it has become difficult for more pessimistic politicians in Ankara to highlight motives for a settlement. Negar Göksel of the International Crisis Group says: The European Union does not have any incentives to offer Turkey that would overwhelm nationalist sentiments there, adding that strategic thinkers in Ankara sincerely want negotiations, but they cannot do so in this climate.