AP Explains: What's behind the Turkey-Greece saber rattling

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Greek and Turkish warships are testing each other’s naval prowess while political leaders in Athens and Ankara probe each other’s resolve over a search for hydrocarbon reserves in east Mediterranean waters that each nation claims.

Despite the saber rattling, there’s doesn’t appear to be a real appetite for war. But neither nation is ready to back down and look weak.

Greece and Turkey have a jumble of air and naval assets in the Mediterranean as France, the U.S. and the United Arab Emirates take part in tit-for-tat military drills. The risks of a mishap that could spark conflict have increased exponentially. The danger was illustrated earlier this month when a Greek frigate accidentally collided with a Turkish warship in waters off Crete.

Here's a look at what's driving the conflict:

POWER PLAY

On the surface it appears as a squabble over who’s entitled to potentially abundant hydrocarbons lurking beneath the seabed in the east Mediterranean.

Greece says Turkey’s bid to prospect for oil and gas in waters off Crete that it says falls within its exclusive economic zone is a clear violation of its sovereign rights and of international law.

Ditto for the small, ethnically divided island nation of Cyprus, which has accused Turkey of “pirate behavior” and “gunboat diplomacy” for sending warship-escorted vessels off its shores — even in areas that were licensed out to major energy companies like France’s Total for exploration.

TURKEY'S STRATEGY

Turkey says its doing what it must to protect its own rights to energy reserves, but analysts say it goes much deeper than that.

Turkey’s assertiveness is in line with a strategic ambition to become a global player — and a leader in the Islamic world whose power and influence can...