This will be sufficient to calm the spirits a little too ebullient ? Thursday, August 13, the French ministry of the Armies did know that Paris was temporarily deployed two fighter Rafale, as well as two buildings of the navy in the eastern Mediterranean. And this, while the region lives to the rhythm of the tensions between Turkey and Greece around the operating gas. In a statement, the ministry said that the two hunters are going to make “step” in the day of Thursday at The Sude, Crete. They should arrive in the morning and stay ” a few days “.
The helicopter carriers Tonnerre, who is en route to Beirut, to provide assistance after the explosion, deadliest of the August 4, has also been joined in the night from Wednesday to Thursday in the Mediterranean sea by the frigate La Fayette, who had sailed from Larnaca (Cyprus), and has carried out an exercise with the Greek navy. “This military presence is intended to strengthen the assessment independent of the situation and to affirm the commitment of France to freedom of movement, security of maritime navigation in the Mediterranean and to the respect of international law “, stressed the ministry of the Armed forces.
vast gas deposits that inflame tensions
The French president Emmanuel Macron announced Wednesday night that a temporary reinforcement of the military presence of French in the area and called on Greece and Turkey, both Nato members, to work together more to ease tensions. On 23 July, the head of State had strongly criticized the “violation” of the sovereignty of the Greek and cyprus by Turkey, regarding the exploration of natural gas resources in the sea. At the end of June, he also accused Turkey of having “a historic responsibility and a criminal” in the libyan conflict.
Read also In the Mediterranean, the battle of the gas is launched
The discovery in recent years of vast gas deposits in the eastern Mediterranean has sharpened the appetite of the riparian countries, and heightened tensions between Turkey and Greece, relations, regularly punctuated by crises. The situation deteriorated on Monday after the deployment by Ankara of a research vessel seismic, escorted by military vessels, in the south-east of the Aegean sea, an area of the Mediterranean, fought and rich in gas deposits. The Greek navy is also present in the area to “monitor” the activities in turkey, according to Athens. The Greek Prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has assured on Wednesday that Greece would not seek to aggravate the tension, warning : “Any provocation will remain unanswered. “
