Research Vessel in Mediterranean Sea Sparks Tension between Greece and Turkey

NATO allies and neighbors Greece and Turkey have traditionally had testy relations and have been at odds for decades over a wide variety of issues.

The two have come to the brink of war three times since the mid-1970s, including once over drilling exploration rights.

Recent discoveries of natural gas and drilling plans across the east Mediterranean have led to renewed tension.

Ankara has been angered by a deal Greece signed with Egypt last Thursday delineating their bilateral maritime boundaries and exclusive economic zones for rights to the exploitation of resources.

Last year, Turkey signed a similar deal with the UN-backed Libyan government in Tripoli,

The Turkey-Libya agreement sparked outrage in Greece, Egypt, and Cyprus, which said the agreement infringed on their economic rights in the Mediterranean.

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The European Union said the deal was a violation of international law that threatened regional stability.

At the heart of the issue is how a country’s continental shelf is calculated and whether islands should be included in the calculation.

Turkey argues they should not, a position that Greece says violates international law.