Trouble is brewing in the Eastern Mediterranean which is nothing to do with migrants, the pandemic or economic meltdowns. Turkey is at odds with Greece, Cyprus and the EU over maritime rights in the scramble for resources following the discovery of huge gas reserves in recent years. Turkey, Greece and France now have warships backed by fighter jets in the area, running the risk of a showdown. Relations between French President Emmanuel Macron and Turkish president Recep Erdogan have been icy recently with accusations and insults flowing in both directions.
Mark Almond in the Telegraph remarks: “The reality is that Greece and Cyprus are looking to France as a great power ally. The rest of the EU maybe good for a statement of support and even a threat of sanctions but when it comes to possible use of force only France counts. Paris has military power. Brussels has words.”
The UK still has two sovereign bases on Cyprus which is in the eye of the storm but, in the muddle, guddle and passivity of the Boris government, direct action seems unlikely.
Recep Erdogan’s 4th Term chart 9 July 2018 4.30pm Ankara, Turkey, has a belligerent Mars in Aquarius in the 3rd house at 8 degrees. That is a hot spot degree that repeats in several relationship charts in particular between Turkey and Cyprus which has a hostile, power-struggling Mars Pluto conjunction; and between Turkey and Greece 1821. Tr Uranus having stoked up the heat a few weeks back will return to hard aspect that degree which could well provide a flash-point in late October into November this year and again March in 2021.
The other relevant charts – Turkey/EU and Turkey/UK – have Pluto at 7 degrees of Fixed signs so will be in the line of Uranian fire between November and early March 2021 for an upset of diplomatic relations.
The Turkey/France relationship chart is moving through deep-freeze territory till late this year and is mired in confusion and evasion in 2020/21.
The Turkey 29 October 1923 8.30pm chart is both discouraging blocked at a domestic level and in a confidently grandstanding mood in 2020/21 with tr Pluto square the 4th house Saturn and sextile the 5th house Jupiter.
This week’s ruthless, high-risk and impatient Mars Pluto square on Thursday followed by the bad-tempered Mars square Saturn on the 25th which has military associations will ramp up the rhetoric if not push it over the edge into an outright confrontation.