A French military plane in the Mediterranean, illustration - Eric FEFERBERG / AFP

Greece, France, Italy and Cyprus are to conduct a joint military exercise in the eastern Mediterranean from Wednesday to Friday where tensions between Athens and Ankara have recently increased, we learned from the Greek Ministry of Defense.

"Cyprus, Greece, France and Italy have agreed to deploy a joint presence in the eastern Mediterranean within the framework of the Quadripartite Cooperation Initiative (SQAD)", according to a statement from the ministry. This exercise is to take place between August 26 and 28 in southern Crete and Cyprus, according to this source.

A sea of ​​tensions

"Tensions and instability in the eastern Mediterranean have increased disputes over issues concerning maritime space (limitations, migrations, flows etc.)", according to this press release. The discovery in recent years of large gas fields in the eastern Mediterranean has raised serious tensions between Ankara and Athens, which are disputing certain maritime areas.

Since August 10, Turkey has deployed its seismic building Oruç Reis accompanied by naval forces, provoking the ire of Greece which has also deployed buildings in the region.

On Tuesday, German Foreign Minister Heiko, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, went to Athens and Ankara to try to calm this dispute between the two neighboring countries, members of NATO, and encourage them to dialogue on the delimitation of waters in the Mediterranean.

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