Pressed in Syria, Turkey upping the ante

The increasing pressure Turkey is feeling in Idlib, northern Syria, and the threat of large-scale clashes with the Syrian Army have coincided with an escalation in tension in the Eastern Mediterranean.

On Thursday, Turkish fighter jets brought the number of overflights carried out in the Aegean to 100, suggesting that 2020 may be a record breaker if the infringements continue at the current rate.

At the same time, Turkish officials' incendiary rhetoric regarding Greece and Cyprus continues unabated. 

Turkish diplomats are also using the Ankara-Tripoli border agreement to promote Turkey's "Blue Homeland" doctrine, which envisions Turkish influence over vast tracts of the Eastern Mediterranean.

This was also evident in comments by senior Turkish Foreign Ministry official Cagatay Erciyes a few days ago in Washington.

It is also seen as a given in...