In a significant move, the United Arab Emirates “is participating for the first time, along with new arrival France, in the joint Greek-Egyptian-Cypriot Medusa-10 training exercises being held Nov. 30 to Dec. 6 off the coast of Alexandria.”
The presence of this alliance in the Mediterranean sends a strong message to Turkey, although “their true value lies in the political cooperation taking place in the region as the countries seek to confront Ankara while being wary of provoking Turkey too much.”
However benign the expressed intentions are, the mere specter of Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, France and the United Arab Emirates coordinating efforts is a provocation to Erdogan, who has been himself a provocation to these countries.
- Turkey has slammed the UAE for “hypocritical behavior” over normalizing relations with Israel.
- In early August, Egypt and Greece signed an agreement “designating an exclusive economic zone in the eastern Mediterranean.” Soon after, Erdogan declared that deal null and void. But then in October, Egypt ratified a maritime deal with Greece, setting its Mediterranean Sea boundary with Greece.
- Erdogan has also verbally attacked France, calling the French leader Macron “mentally ill” over Macron’s comments about Islam and efforts to protect France’s freedom of expression following the beheading of French teacher Samuel Paty for insulting Muhammad.
- In October, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi warned Greece and Cyprus “that a wave of Turkish-backed jihadists will be a problem for Greece in the future.”
- Turkey’s ongoing occupation of northern Cyprus and its violations of economic zones of Cyprus, not to mention its repeated violations of Greek airspace, have demonstrated the supremacist imperative Erdogan is pursuing
A collaborative effort by the EU, UN and NATO that saw a Turkish vessel commandeered by German inspectors, in efforts to control the Turkish army’s flow into Libya, has already caused outrage in Turkey. This, in addition to the Mediterranean military exercises, demonstrates a new resolve to push back against Turkish aggressiveness.
“Exercise in Eastern Mediterranean,” by Sean Matthews, Al-Monitor, December 2, 2020:
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is participating for the first time, along with new arrival France, in the joint Greek-Egyptian-Cypriot Medusa-10 training exercises being held Nov. 30 to Dec. 6 off the coast of Alexandria.
The Emirati presence in the military exercises comes less than two weeks after signing a strategic partnership agreement with Greece Nov. 18, which was described to Al-Monitor as “a major achievement from Athens’ point of view” by Kostas Ifantis, professor of international relations at Panteion University in Athens.
“It is the first time in the post-WWII era that Athens concludes a bilateral agreement of this magnitude. What brought the two together in such an urgent way is Turkey and the overreaching revisionism of Ankara. It is an arrangement aiming at containing Turkey and making the deterrent strategies of both Greece and the UAE more credible,” Ifantis added.
The UAE, which has been locked in a rivalry with Turkey since 2013 over what it views as Ankara’s destabilizing support for the Muslim Brotherhood, has sided with Greece in recent years as the Hellenic country confronts Turkey over a series of maritime disputes in the Eastern Mediterranean.
“We share with Greece the same view toward Turkey regarding its policies in the Mediterranean,” Ebtesam al-Ketbi, president of the Emirates Policy Center in Abu Dhabi, told Al-Monitor. “We are trying to cooperate to face the political Islam which Turkey is using as a cover for its expansion and regional policies.”
Until now, one of the more visible examples of that support was in August when Greek and Turkish warships collided in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Gulf nation dispatched F-16 fighter jets to the island of Crete.
The recent inclusion of UAE forces in the Medusa-10 training exercises, alongside its partners who share an interest in checking Turkey’s ambitions, appears to be an attempt to build on the momentum of the Greek-Emirati agreement and send a message of unity before the December European Union (EU) summit when Turkish sanctions are to be discussed.
The Greek-Emirati deal solidifies a bilateral framework for more defense cooperation between the two countries situated on near opposite geographical boundaries of the Middle East.
“The new agreement institutionalizes the stationing of military forces of one country to the territory of the other, which is very important for defense-oriented purposes,” Antonia Dimou, director of the Middle East and Persian Gulf Unit at the Athens-based Institute for Security and Defense Analyses, told Al-Monitor.
“Let’s not forget that Turkey has a presence at the doorstep of the UAE via its base in Qatar; now, through the agreement with Greece, the UAE expands a presence at the doorstep of Turkey,” Dimou said….
Infidel says
Hopefully, Israel would be a part of this as well going forward: they’re the only power strong enough in the region to take on Turkey: I doubt that even Egypt is up to it
Boycott Turkey says
I think France is the only power to take on Turkey I don’t trust Egypt or UAE it’s strange that Turkey slammed UAE for relations with Israel when Turkey is Allied with Israel to thank God for France or else Turkey would have invaded Greece and taken all of Cyprus
Infidel says
Turkey still has diplomatic relations w/ Israel – it didn’t break them – but the 2 countries are by no means friendly as they were during Kemalist Turkey. Which is why it was bizarre that Israel supported Azerbaijan against Armenia
I do trust Egypt and UAE against Turkey b’cos the Arabs don’t want either a return to the Ottoman empire, nor do they wanna cede leadership of islam to the Turks like it was during Ottoman rule
Boycott Turkey says
Recently Israel and Turkey had secret talks as Erdogan is worried about Biden I don’t think Biden likes Erdogan I don’t think it’s bizarre that Israel supported Azerbaijan they have a historical friendship with Turkey and Azerbaijan which is why I don’t trust Israel either if Greece or Cyprus get attacked I think Israel would support Turkey like it did Azerbaijan against Armenia
The problem with Egypt is there’s lots of Muslim brotherhood simperthizers and being Muslim countries I don’t think they would side with Greece same as UAE when it came to Turkey
Infidel says
I doubt that Israel is naive to the fact that Turkey is the bigger threat to them, not Iran. On paper, if Israel and Turkey go to war, NATO would be obligated to support the latter
I doubt that Biden is opposed to Turkey: from the squad, Ilhan Omar has very good relations w/ Erdogan
terry sullivan says
uk is awash with turks and they have a high criminal element–why are they here?
christians are pushed out of turkey and turkey still denies to genocides
why is turkey still illegally occupying northern cyprus?
gravenimage says
Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, France and UAE conduct joint military exercises amid rising Turkish threat
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Interesting. With Egypt and the UAE this has more to do with Muslim power-jockeying than any actual opposition to Jihad aggresstion, though. These civilized Infidel nations should work with them, but keep their eyes wide open and watch their backs.
alberto gorin says
And is this really about turkey or Greece or behind the scene western world
Giacomo Latta says
If NATO does not kick Turkey out of its organization then what is its objective? Is the former USSR its only target?
Infidel says
They have no real objective, which is why they wanna add climate change to their mission statement. It’s hard for them to credibly claim that they’re anti-Russian when Germany is pretty much on the same page as Russia on most issues