President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appears to have backed off, at least a little, from his looming Mediterranean Sea showdown with Greece. But if Erdogan decides to escalate, Washington should send him a clear message. In that scenario, a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier strike group should be ordered to conduct exercises in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

The Nimitz-class carrier strike group is presently in the Arabian Sea, only a few days’ sail from the area. But such a show of naval force would play Erdogan at precisely the same game he is currently entertaining against Greece. Aggravated by Erdogan’s repeated deployments of energy survey vessels into its exclusive economic zone, Greece has deployed warships to monitor the intrusion. Possessing a larger and more modern navy, however, Turkey has responded by sending ludicrously large warship flotillas to escort its survey vessels. This is a pure Erdogan power play. He’s telling Greece that he’s more powerful and will never back down. This is also a useful domestic message for Erdogan. As he grapples with rising economic fears, the naval games allow him to buffer his nationalist credentials by antagonizing Turkey’s longtime nemesis.