Tensions flare between Turkey, Greece over islets

Turkey is once again facing off against historic foe-turned-ally Greece in one of their fiercest rows in years, though the war of words is unlikely to spill over into military confrontation.

With two months before Turks vote on a critical referendum to enhance presidential powers, this renewed dispute is fuelling nationalistic sentiment inside Turkey.

Forging a less ideological and more pragmatic relationship with Athens has been seen as one of the major foreign policy gains of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party since it came to power in 2002.

But tensions over disputed islets in the Aegean Sea, airspace violations and discord on how to handle Byzantine heritage inside Turkey have cracked open an old schism between the two NATO allies.

The refusal last month of a Greek court to extradite eight former Turkish army officers over the failed July 15 coup widened that chasm.

The eight fled to Greece by military helicopter on the night of the putsch, which Turkey said was masterminded by the US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen.

Defense Minister Fikri Isik slammed the Greek court's decision as a "complete disappointment".

"Any decision taken by Turkey's partners in relation to the failed coup is bound to be highly controversial, be it Gulen's extradition from the US or the officers' extradition from Greece," said Marc Pierini, visiting scholar at Carnegie Europe.

In an apparent riposte, a Turkish naval vessel with Chief of Staff General Hulusi Akar onboard conducted a sail-by of two disputed islets in the Aegean on Jan 29, prompting Greece to shadow the Turkish boats with its own forces.

The uninhabited islets - known collectively as Kardak in Turkish and Imia in Greek - have long been a source of tension.

'Unwanted situation'

A row over their sovereignty flared in January 1996, when the two countries sent marines to two neighboring islands in a sign of an imminent armed confrontation.

They withdrew their troops after heavy diplomatic pressure from the United States, a fellow NATO member.

Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos later flew over the islets in a helicopter, throwing a wreath into the water to commemorate three Greek soldiers killed in a helicopter crash in the 1996 dispute.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu warned that "if the situation escalates - God forbid, if an unwanted situation happens - it would be irreparable".

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim accused Kammenos of posturing, arguing that there were "130 large and small rocks" in the Aegean whose status is disputed.

But Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras warned Ankara its actions "would lead nowhere", insisting there were no "grey areas" of territory in the Aegean and that Turkey had violated Greek waters.