The simmering tensions between Greece and Turkey, two NATO allies supposedly, over territorial claims in the Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean have once again thrust the Atlantic alliance’s internal contradictions into the spotlight. Ongoing military talks between the two nations, starting this week, aim to de-escalate disputes over maritime boundaries and airspace violations; yet the underlying issues reveal a deeper fissure within NATO’s structure.

At the heart of the Greek-Turkish standoff are competing claims over resource-rich waters and historical grievances rooted in the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne. Turkey’s assertive “Blue Homeland” doctrine, which seeks to expand its maritime influence, clashes with Greece’s efforts to secure its sovereignty over Aegean islands and its exclusive economic zone. Some analysts have accused Athens of leveraging Western support to sidestep geopolitical realities. While Greece’s position is framed as defensive, Turkey’s actions—such as deploying seismic research vessels or challenging Greek island militarization—are seen by Ankara as legitimate assertions of sovereignty.

These disputes are not merely bilateral; they ripple across NATO, threatening the alliance’s unity at a time when its European member states seek to project strength. For a few years, some analysts have been discussing the likelihood of a Turkish-Greek war breaking out, with episodes intensifying over the last three years at least. For example, in 2022, Ankara accused Athens of using an S-300 missile system to lock onto Turkish jets conducting NATO missions........

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