“Following a series of technical meetings between the Military Representatives of Greece and Turkey at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, a bilateral military de-confliction mechanism was established on Thursday (1 October 2020)”, NATO officially announced earlier today.

According to a written statement, “the mechanism is designed to reduce the risk of incidents and accidents in the Eastern Mediterranean” and “It includes the creation of a hotline between Greece and Turkey, to facilitate de-confliction at sea or in the air”.

“The technical military de-confliction talks, which began in early September, were initiated by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg after high-level contacts with both Greece and Turkey”.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed “the establishment of a military de-confliction mechanism, achieved through the constructive engagement of Greece and Turkey, both valued NATO Allies”.

“This safety mechanism can help to create the space for diplomatic efforts to address the underlying dispute and we stand ready to develop it further. I will remain in close contact with both Allies”, he noted.

“Military de-confliction between Allies is a role NATO has played before. In the 1990’s, NATO helped establish a similar mechanism in the region, which was effective in helping to reduce tensions and provide the space for broader diplomatic talks”, NATO recalls.

Meanwhile European Parliament President David Sassoli, addressing the extraordinary EU Summit called for solidarity with Greece and Cyprus and readiness for targeted and sectoral sanctions in case  “the worst comes to the worst”, as he said.

More specifically D.Sassoli stated the following: “we have all been following the events unfolding in the Eastern Mediterranean with increasing concern, and the European Parliament set out its position on the matter at the last part-session. We are unwavering in our resolve to show solidarity with Greece and Cyprus. The EU must uphold their sovereign rights. At the same time, the European Parliament is firmly convinced that a lasting settlement of the conflict can only be achieved through dialogue between the two sides. If the worst comes to the worst, we should be ready to use the full range of instruments at our disposal, including targeted and sectoral sanctions. But let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”