Ankara seen to be stoking regional tensions

Athens sees the recent rhetoric emanating from Turkey's Defense and Foreign ministries, in tandem with a spike in airspace violations and overflights, as part of a calculated bid by Ankara to maintain a climate of tension over the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean. 

According to analysts, the tension serves a two-fold objective: to highlight Turkish claims in the region and to serve as a reminder that despite its military operations in Syria, Ankara is ready to uphold its interests on its western sea border. 

To this end, Turkey issued a navigational telex (NAVTEX) on Thursday, reserving an area in the Eastern Mediterranean until Saturday for seismic research by the survey ship Barbaros Hayreddin Pasa and two support vessels.

The area overlaps with a large part of the Greek continental shelf and a section of Cyprus's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).