Podcast / Europe & Central Asia 06 July 2021 Defusing Tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean This week on War & Peace, Olga Oliker and Hugh Pope talk with Crisis Group’s Nigar Göksel about the nationalist tensions fuelling a maritime standoff between Turkey and Greece, and how coordinated efforts by regional powers can help de-escalate their dispute over the eastern Mediterranean. Share Facebook Twitter Email Linkedin Whatsapp Save Print Tensions flared in the eastern Mediterranean in mid-2020 when Turkey sent seismic research ships into waters contested with Greece and the Republic of Cyprus. While neither Turkey nor Greece seeks war with the other, competition over sovereignty and natural resources is reviving long-running geopolitical rivalries. To discuss the various interests at play in their maritime standoff and how actors such as the EU and U.S. can help push the parties toward reconciliation, Olga Oliker and Hugh Pope are joined by Nigar Göksel, project director for Turkey. Together, they draw on key findings detailed in Crisis Group’s latest report on the issue – “Turkey-Greece: From Maritime Brinkmanship to Dialogue” – and assess whether recently restarted talks between President Erdogan and Prime Minister Mitsotakis signal a positive turn in strained relations and might lower the risks of regional conflict. Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more information, explore Crisis Group’s analysis on our Eastern Mediterranean Rivalries page. Related Tags Eastern Mediterranean Rivalries Western Europe/Mediterranean Türkiye Contributors Hugh Pope Former Director of Communications & Outreach Hugh_Pope Olga Oliker Program Director, Europe and Central Asia OlyaOliker Nigar Göksel Project Director, Türkiye nigargoksel More for you Podcast / Horn of Africa The Horn (Season 3) Podcast / Hold Your Fire! (Season 2)