Rivals Türkiye and Greece Come Together for NATO Drill in Med

Flags of NATO member countries flap in the wind outside NATO headquarters in Brussels, Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022. (AP)
Flags of NATO member countries flap in the wind outside NATO headquarters in Brussels, Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022. (AP)
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Rivals Türkiye and Greece Come Together for NATO Drill in Med

Flags of NATO member countries flap in the wind outside NATO headquarters in Brussels, Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022. (AP)
Flags of NATO member countries flap in the wind outside NATO headquarters in Brussels, Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022. (AP)

Amid an escalating war of words between Türkiye and Greece over disputes in the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean, both countries came together Tuesday to participate in an annual NATO naval exercise.

The neighbors and historic regional rivals are among 12 alliance members taking part in Dynamic Mariner-Mavi Balina 22 off Türkiye’s western coast.

Relations between Türkiye and Greece have worsened recently. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a thinly veiled invasion threat a week ago when he said Türkiye could “come all of a sudden one night” in response to perceived Greek threats.

The neighbors have decades-old disputes over an array of issues, including territorial claims in the Aegean and Mediterranean and disagreements over airspace limits. They've come to the brink of war three times in the last half-century.

Ankara claims that Greece is violating international agreements by militarizing islands close to its coastline, arguing that Greek sovereignty could be disputed if the alleged infringements continue. It has also accused Greek air defenses of locking on to Turkish fighter jets during NATO exercises.

Greece has complained of Türkiye’s rhetoric to NATO, the European Union and the United Nations. Athens says it needs to defend its eastern islands against its larger and militarily stronger neighbor.

It has also accused Türkiye’s military of repeatedly violating Greek airspace and waters.

NATO announced the start of the joint exercise from Aksaz naval base near the Mediterranean resort of Marmaris. The war games run to Sept. 22.

“Dynamic Mariner is an incredibly important large-scale maritime exercise,” said French Vice Admiral Didier Piaton, deputy commander of NATO’s Allied Maritime Command.

“This year’s event includes more assets than ever before, facilitating increased interoperability between our nations and enhancing operational readiness. We continue to work closely with Türkiye and other allies and partners to deter aggression and defend the alliance.”

The exercise includes 50 ships, five submarines, five aircraft and 1,500 marines and other personnel.



Trump Says Iran Must Give Up Dream of Nuclear Weapon or Face Harsh Response

US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, April 14, 2025. (AFP)
US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, April 14, 2025. (AFP)
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Trump Says Iran Must Give Up Dream of Nuclear Weapon or Face Harsh Response

US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, April 14, 2025. (AFP)
US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, April 14, 2025. (AFP)

President Donald Trump said on Monday he believes Iran is intentionally delaying a nuclear deal with the United States and that it must abandon any drive for a nuclear weapon or face a possible military strike on Tehran's atomic facilities.

"I think they're tapping us along," Trump told reporters after US special envoy Steve Witkoff met in Oman on Saturday with a senior Iranian official.

Both Iran and the United States said on Saturday that they held "positive" and "constructive" talks in Oman. A second round is scheduled for Saturday, and a source briefed on the planning said the meeting was likely to be held in Rome.

The source, speaking to Reuters on the condition of anonymity, said the discussions are aimed at exploring what is possible, including a broad framework of what a potential deal would look like.

"Iran has to get rid of the concept of a nuclear weapon. They cannot have a nuclear weapon," Trump said.

Asked if US options for a response include a military strike on Tehran's nuclear facilities, Trump said: "Of course it does."

Trump said the Iranians need to move fast to avoid a harsh response because "they're fairly close" to developing a nuclear weapon.

The US and Iran held indirect talks during former President Joe Biden's term, but they made little, if any progress. The last known direct negotiations between the two governments were under then-President Barack Obama, who spearheaded the 2015 international nuclear deal that Trump later abandoned.