Tension rises as Turkey, Greece voice festering grievances

By ANDREW WILKS
Associated Press

ISTANBUL (AP) — Troubled relations between regional rivals Turkey and Greece have worsened. Turkey’s president on Tuesday doubled down on a thinly veiled invasion threat. Athens responded that it’s ready to defend its sovereignty. Turkey and Greece have decades-old disputes over an array of issues, including territorial claims in the Aegean Sea and disagreements over the airspace there. The friction between the neighbors has brought the NATO allies to the brink of war three times in the last half-century. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey could “come all of a sudden one night” in response to perceived Greek threats, suggesting a Turkish attack on its neighbor cannot be ruled out.