A battle of attrition is heating up between Turkey and Israel on the Mediterranean Sea after Turkey banished an Israeli ship from the area around Cyprus last night. In retaliation, the Israel Air Force buzzed a Turkish ship on Sunday morning.

The tete-a-tete began when Turkish naval vessels surrounded an Israeli research vessel by the name of Bat Galim which was on a naval research mission in the economic waters belonging to Cyprus. According to reports in the Israeli media, Turkish officers radioed the Captain of the Israeli ship and began interrogating him over the radio with regards to the ship’s mission. This took place in an area of the Mediterranean where the Turkish navy has no jurisdiction.

After a short deliberation, the Turkish navy demanded that the Israeli vessel leave the area and not continue its research. The research vessel had no choice but to comply.

On Sunday morning, the IAF wasted no time in retaliating as fighter jets were dispatched to buzz a Turkish ship whose mission was to drill for gas. This too took place near the island of Cyprus.

The renewed tension between Israel and Turkey comes after Turkey began attempting to claim marine gas fields in Cypriot waters after diplomatic ties between Cyprus, Greece and Turkey took a turn for the worse. Turkey claims that the waters around Cyprus belong to them.

A few weeks ago, Turkey signed a treaty with Libya that divided the region of the Mediterranean between them and completely ignored the existence of Cyprus Cypriot and  Greek territorial waters.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)