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.



South Korea Police Say Rite at Family Grave Led to Deadly Wildfire

29 March 2025, South Korea, Andong: A firefighting helicopter tries to extinguish a wildfire in Andong, in Gyeongsang Province, southeastern South Korea. Photo: -/yonhap/dpa
29 March 2025, South Korea, Andong: A firefighting helicopter tries to extinguish a wildfire in Andong, in Gyeongsang Province, southeastern South Korea. Photo: -/yonhap/dpa
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South Korea Police Say Rite at Family Grave Led to Deadly Wildfire

29 March 2025, South Korea, Andong: A firefighting helicopter tries to extinguish a wildfire in Andong, in Gyeongsang Province, southeastern South Korea. Photo: -/yonhap/dpa
29 March 2025, South Korea, Andong: A firefighting helicopter tries to extinguish a wildfire in Andong, in Gyeongsang Province, southeastern South Korea. Photo: -/yonhap/dpa

South Korean police said on Sunday they booked a man suspected of starting what grew into the country's largest wildfire, killing at least 26 people and razing thousands of buildings including historic temples.
Authorities believe the man, who is in his 50s, began the fire in southeastern Uiseong County when he performed an ancestral rite by a family grave on March 22, an official from Gyeongbuk Provincial Police said.
"We are in the process of verifying evidence," the official added.
In South Korea's legal system, booking involves registering a suspect but may not coincide immediately with arrest or charges.
According to Reuters, Yonhap news agency said the man had denied the allegations.
The fire burned about 48,000 hectares (119,000 acres), destroyed an estimated 4,000 structures, and forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate. By Friday the blaze was largely contained although firefighters were still battling small hotspots that had sprung up on Saturday.
The Uiseong fire as well as separate blazes across the country last week left at least 30 people dead and sparked calls for national reforms to better tackle such disasters, which experts say are being exacerbated by climate change.
The forest service said on Sunday another wildfire broke out in a southern area near Suncheonsi, and authorities had deployed 23 firetrucks, four helicopters and 123 firefighters.