Greek-Turkish Relations

The reminder of the common fate of the two neighbouring peoples has a greater impact in a time of heightened tensions in bilateral relations, when extreme rhetoric makes them forget.

It is no small thing, for example, that US Senator Bob Menendez, who has steadfastly backed Greece’s positions, remains Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee.

If a minister of a foreign country visits Turkey or meets with a Turkish official, that is automatically and wrongly interpreted through the prism of Greek-Turkish relations.

Turkish analysts are noting that Erdogan is lagging in the polls on next June’s general elections, and everyone is wondering what means he might employ in order to remain in power.

'In response to the “Blue Homeland”, Greece could lay claim to all of Asia Minor and Constantinople. Is it possible in our day and age for leaders and peoples to think in this manner?'

Ankara maintains an enormous landing force, with a strong amphibian component, the Aegean Army, on the entire coast of Anatolia, extremely close to Greek Aegean islands.

Greek-Turkish exploratory talks must not cease, because they are the only means to resolve the impasse. The alternative to diplomacy spells disaster.

We are a country at the core of the European construct and a NATO member-state and therefore a force of stability in the Southeastern Mediterranean and the Western Balkans.

Greece has a duty to staunchly declare that it is a member of the EU and of NATO, and a constant, stabilising factor in the Southeastern Mediterranean, in contrast with Turkey.

Erdogan has often demonstrated that the only way he knows to address domestic problems is through aggressiveness in the Eastern Mediterranean and elsewhere.

The PM declared that the chancellor has been a voice of logic and though sometimes measures imposed on Greece were unjust, in 2015 she rejected Greece’s ostracism from the EU.

'The difficulties were a given when the issue was the stability of the euro, and I personally was absolutely cognisant of the excessive burden and challenge that this entailed for the people of Greece.'

Aside from French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian PM Mario Draghi, Athens also enjoys the support of European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde.

The Turkish president announced the opening of a small portion of the fenced off, ghost city of Varosha, which has been guarded by Turkish occupation forces for the last 47 years.

Ankara – as was confirmed by the Biden-Erdogan talks with bilateral relations tattered – will always be viewed as a crucial ally for the West, of which Greece is a part.

In this new multi-polar and fluid world - with a global public health crisis and a leadership change in the US - we must consider Greek-Turkish relations over the long term.

The Turkish Foreign Minister talks to TO VIMA ahead of his meetings with Prime Minister Mitsotakis and Foreign Minister Dendias.

Erdogan's stance is based on the multi-faceted domestic crisis that Turkey is entering. It is also based on a complete shift in his policies since the abortive coup attempt in 2016.

Five dozen rounds of talks in nearly 20 years proved fruitless as Athens steadfastly rejected all of Ankara's demands that are outside the parameters of international law.

The exceptionally good personal relationship between Donald Trump and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, gave Ankara great leeway in charting its geopolitical moves and to harrass other NATO member-states and to ignore good neighbourly relations.

Ιt is clear that the German chancellor is aiming for something more that the (definitive?) return of the Turkish research vessel “Oruc Reis” to its base. She has underlined that the EU has channeled much effort into improving its relations with Turkey.

The best answer to Turkish provocations is always diplomacy. That way Athens demonstrates that it is by being the trustworthy regional interlocutor and that in contrast with Turkey it can be a basic pillar of stability.

The issue to be decided in elections in Turkish-occupied Cyprus is whether dialogue and negotiations will proceed or whether Ankara’s provocative stance and the political fatigue of the Turkish-Cypriots will result in deeper impasses.

'What we have achieved is to raise awareness of Europe as a whole about the strategic importance of the Mediterranean basin and especially of the Eastern Mediterranean,' the PM said.

Nato for decades and until now has chosen a policy of equal distances, and so today’s meeting is crucial because the allies will have to take a clear stand on the perilous conflict.

'Greece does what it does at its borders on behalf of the West,” he declared of Athens’ decision to entirely close its border with Turkey,' Erdogan declared.

Crete’s continental shelf has already been disputed by the Turkey-Libya EEZ delimitation MOU which was rejected by both the US and EU.

At a presentation at the Atlantic Council in Washington Mitsotakis stressed that Greece will cede an inch of territory or other violations of sovereign rights.

Ankara continues to provoke with inconceivable actions such as twelve over-flights over the islands of Panagia, Inouses, all within a half an hour.

Following his talks with Tayyip Erdogan, PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis reminded us that with Turkey 'there were, are, and always will be difficulties'.

The harsh rhetoric that the Greek side has adopted makes it clear that thuggish behaviour will not be tolerated ad infinitum.

Either a country can be dragged into power plays and sabre-rattling or it acts in a calm and prudent manner with knowledge of its geopolitical position and interenational alliances.

You will say Erdogan is in power today. Certainly, Turkey has changed. What will not change unto the ages is that Turkey is our neighbour and will always be.

Ankara is challenging Greee’s sovereign rights in the continental shelf and EEZ of the Greeek island of Kastelorizo

Critics of the Prespa Agreement in Athens maintain that Skopje is in some instances interpreting the accord in a skewed manner.