1987 Aegean crisis

1987 Aegean crisis took place in late March between Turkey and Greece, as part of the Aegean dispute. Turkey learned that Greece was starting to drill for oil in the disputed Aegean waters in the vicinity of Thasos. In response, the Turkish survey ship RV MTA Sismik 1 was sent to the area to conduct survey. Greek prime minister Andreas Papandreou gave the orders to sink the ship, if found in the disputed waters claimed by Greece. The crisis escalated, and both sides threatened military action. This incident nearly started a war between Greece and Turkey. The crisis was solved when the Turkish Prime Minister Turgut Özal announced that if the Greek government did not enter the disputed waters, then neither would they and he participated in a phone call with Papandreou.