Multinational exercise Eunomia 2026 sparks tensions in Eastern Mediterranean

On October 19, 2026, Greece, Cyprus, France, and Italy launched the multinational aeronautical exercise 'Eunomia 2026' in the Eastern Mediterranean. The drills are taking place in two specific zones: one south of Kastellorizo, designated for live-fire exercises, and a wider area between southern Crete and Kastellorizo for aerial and naval maneuvers. The location is strategically significant as it overlaps with the planned route of the French research vessel Abeille Marengo, which is tasked with conducting seabed surveys for the Great Sea Interconnector, an undersea electrical cable project linking Greece and Cyprus.

Turkish media outlets have reacted with heightened concern, describing the coming period as the 'hottest week for the Blue Homeland'. Pro-government newspapers argue the exercise is a pretext for Greece and Cyprus to solidify maritime claims in areas Ankara contests, with some commentators warning of potential military escalation. While some Turkish reports claim a coordinated anti-Turkish front involving Greece and Israel, other diplomatic sources quoted in the press have denied any formal link between the military exercise and the cable survey operations. Internal Turkish political discourse remains divided, with opposition media framing the exercise as a Western show of force intended to prevent Turkish interference in the infrastructure project.