German Chancellor Angela Merkel prevented a military confrontation between Turkey and Greece on Tuesday evening, Bild reported.

The navies and air forces of both countries were on hold after Ankara's decision to send a research vessel to the Greek island of Kastellorizo ​​for oil and gas exploration. At noon on Tuesday, the Greek Navy declared a state of alarm.

As tensions escalated, Merkel intervened by holding phone calls with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and the Turkish fleet turned and changed course, the newspaper reported.

German government spokesman Ulrike Demmer said on Tuesday that Merkel and Erdogan discussed various issues, especially the situation in Libya, the Aegean, and the eastern Mediterranean.

Tensions between Turkey and Greece have intensified over the right to explore for hydrocarbons in the eastern Mediterranean.

The Greek City Times reported that Greek and Turkish fighter jets flew over Kastellorizo ​​for over two and a half hours on Tuesday, forcing terrified tourists to flee the beaches.