Greece hopes no conflict with Turkey

Greece's Foreign Minister, Nikos Dendias, said Friday that he hopes all parties involved in a dispute in the Mediterranean Sea will act according to international law and that there will be no conflict.

Everything can be resolved, but this is a question to ask Turks”, Dendias said, after meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, with whom he has discussed recent tensions in the region.

The American State Department said in a statement that Pompeo and Dendias discussed the urgent “need to reduce tensions in the eastern Mediterranean”, but without providing more details.

The meeting followed the day it was reported that Turkish and Greek warships were involved in a minor clash Wednesday, Reuters reports.

From Greek sources it was said to be an accident, but Ankara described it as a provocation.

Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan warned Greece that Turkey would retaliate against any attack on its ship.

Tensions have increased this week after Turkey sent a ship to the region, accompanied by warships, to seek oil and gas in an area which the two countries say is in their jurisdiction.

European Union foreign ministers have already imposed sanctions on two Turkish energy leaders for Turkey's operations in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The European Union must reassess its relations with Turkey”, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said on Friday.

“I have to say that Austria is very concerned about the dangerous and alarming situation that we believe can escalate”, Schallenberg said at a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.