Turkey’s Mediterranean aggression needs strong response, Biden Center chief says
Former U.S. deputy assistant defence secretary
Michael Carpenter said Turkey’s decision to pause research for oil and gas in
the eastern Mediterranean is a diplomatic win for Athens that shows the need
for a strong response against Turkish aggression.
“The Greek government achieves an important
diplomatic win by de-escalating tensions with Ankara,” Carpenter, Managing
Director of the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement, said in
a tweet on Wednesday.
“Going forward, Turkey’s aggressive actions in the
eastern Med and [the] Aegean must be met with a strong, coordinated U.S.-EU
response,” Carpenter added, commenting on a link to an article by German
broadcaster Deutsche Welle on developments in the region.
Carpenter served as deputy assistant secretary of
defence for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia from 2015 to 2017.
Tensions have been rising recently between Turkey
and Greece over their competing claims to hydrocarbon exploration rights in the
eastern Mediterranean.