NATO members Greece and Turkey have been staging rival war games amid a dispute over Mediterranean energy riches AFP/HandoutISTANBUL: Turkey on Thursday announced new naval exercises near its shores and accused France of"bullying" as the conflict over Mediterranean energy riches risked turning into a military standoff.
US President Donald Trump spoke to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday - his first direct involvement in the escalating dispute. EU foreign ministers will tackle the crisis in Berlin on Thursday and Trump took the pulse of both sides through his own round of telephone diplomacy.
Erdogan"emphasised how Turkey has taken concrete steps which proves it sides with lowering tensions and dialogue," the presidency said.French frigates and fighter jets joined the Greek war games - also including Italy and Crete - on Wednesday while Turkey staged smaller ones nearby with a US navy ship."The time for bullying is over. You have no chance to force to take some actions through bullying," Akar told France in a televised interview.
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