Greek analysts suggest that Ankara’s participation in exploratory talks aims primarily to demonstrate its dedication to resolving issues in order to avert possible EU sanctions.
The timing of the next round of talks is not coincidental as EU leaders in December agreed to revisit the prospect of sanctions against Turkey at their March summit.
The talks began in 2002, when Pasok's Costas Simitis was PM and were abruptly cut off after the failed coup attempt against Recep Tayyip Erdogan in July, 2016.
Erdogan is forging new alliances which explain the projection of Turkish power from the Red Sea to the Caucasus and his bid for the lion’s share of the hydrocarbons in the Southeastern Mediterranean.
The airing of grievances came as tensions flared again between Turkey and the EU after a Turkish seismic survey ship on Monday returned to disputed waters from which it had withdrawn last month to allow for diplomacy
The Eastern Mediterranean was high on the agenda of Pompeo’s talks as Greece, the US, France and other nations have slammed Ankara’s military moves in the region, as were Turkish Aegean provocations.
" The US welcomes reports that Greece-Turkey are ready for exploratory talks on maritime delimitation issues, as talks have potential to contribute to easing of regional tensions," the US State Department said in a tweet.
'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.
'We hope they’ll be real conversations [between Turkey and Greece] and we hope the military assets that are there will be withdrawn so these conversations can take place,' said the US Secretary of State.
During Greece’s great economic depression France’s pro-greek stance vis a vis a prospective Grexit was decisive.
The pipeline will provide natural gas to Greek regions that do not have access to the national network such as Crete, the Peloponnese, and Western Greece.
After weeks of laying the groundwork with a diplomatic blitz the government secured the support of even skeptical allies such as Germany.
'We simply expect everyone to see the realities and we invite all our neighbours to do so,' Akar declared.
"'he activity for the protection of our rights and interests in the Aegean, Eastern Mediterranean, and Cyprus is proceeding decisively,' the Turkish defence minister said.
Although successive Greek governments and the military for decades have been aware of Ankara’s objective of splitting half-and-half the underwater wealth in hydrocarbons in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean with Greece and now with the Republic of Cyprus, Turkey has never expressed its agenda directly at the highest levels. That has ben patently obvious […]
Dendias took office even as Ankara prepared to begin illegal oil and gas drilling in Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone(EEZ) off the Karpas peninsula, which has been Turkish-occupied since 1974.
'The Greek prime minister speaks having by his side the EU, all EU member-states, and the vast majority of the international community in every corner of the world and especially in our region,' the Greek PM said while on a visit to Cyprus.
'The escalation of Turkey’s provocations in Cyprus and the continuing tensions in the Aegean do not exhibit strength but rather weakness,' Greece's foreign minister noted.
For the time being, Ankara has not indicated an intention to drill in blocks of Cyprus’ EEZ for which Nicosia has awarded concessions to Western oil companies (ExxonMobil, Total, Eni).
Greek diplomatic and military sources are urging extreme caution both before and after parliamentary elections and throughout the summer.