ATHENS – After drawing and withdrawing Red Lines that Turkey couldn’t cross, then did – the pulled back, Greece and its neighbor have fallen into a battle disputing sovereignty, peppered with belligerent talk.

Greece’s New Democracy government was said to getting more anxious, however, that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erodgan will take his often bellicose talk even further, after warning he would act if Greek troops aren’t taken off islands near Turkey’s coast.

In a report, Kathimerini said that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ administration is worried about the renewed violations of Greek airspace by Turkish fighter jets, after Erdogan said he would also send an energy research vessel and warship around Greek islands to hunt for oil and gas.

Turkey claims territories in what it also called Gray Zones, including uninhabited and small islands to the larger islands of the Eastern Aegean, and also said it would be a cause for war if Greece extends its sea limits from 6 to 12 miles, with distances far less than that between Turkey and some Greek islands.

With Greece building an international alliance against Turkish provocations, Erdogan has turned to trying to improve relations with Israel – a key in Greece’s reachout – while Turkey railed against Greece buying French and US warships and fighter jets.

Turkey is also closing a diplomatic gap with the United Arab Emirates, which had stuck by Greece’s side, leaving only Egypt – another Greek partner – with whom Erdogan hasn’t sought rapprochement.

With Turkish drones taking on a new presence in the skies between the countries, Greece is said readying for cyber warfare as well and speed creation of a system that will utilize Artificial Intelligence under a project called Thorax as a counter.