Greek-Turkish Relations

We believe that all of Turkey’s moves are made with Greece in mind, and that is the greatest mistake. When competent diplomats and government officials explain that things are not like that, they are attacked.

In establishing its defences on the islands, Athens cites the right to self-defence and the threat of the clearly offensive nature of Turkey’s 130,000-strong Aegean Army along the coast of Anatolia.

The new diplomatic “agenda” of Greece in a particularly critical period

The Greek media and even New Democracy MPs have for many months been speaking of the prospect of early elections in October, but they say the PM will decide in late August.

'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?'

It remains to be seen what will be the policy of the new German government, after the departure of Angela Merkel and the appointment of the Green party’s Annalena Baerbock as the country’s foreign minister.

Ankara has systematically encroached on the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of Cyprus and Greece, including through the 2019 Libya-Turkey agreement on the delimitation of the two countries’ maritime zones, that has been condemned internationally.

In an interview with the conservative Turkish daily Milli Gazete, with the front page title “They [France] are offering Greece nuclear support”, Yayci maintains that the Greece-France alliance poses a direct threat to Turkey.

A large majority of respondents expressed approval for Greece’s recent defence agreements with France and the US, especially for the accord with France that included a mutual defence pact.

The bitter clashes of the past over harsh austerity imposed on Greece by Berlin is water under the bridge, and Greek-German relations have been at a very good level for the last six years, especially in the post-memorandum era and certainly on Mitsotakis’ watch.

In a thinly veiled threat, the Turkish foreign ministry staed, “All necessary steps are being taken against these unilateral acts of Greece and GCA [the Republic of Cyprus]."

'Let me be absolutely clear. We will continue to protect our sovereignty and our sovereign rights across our territory, on land, at sea, and in our airspace,' the PM said.

'What happened last year, when Ankara raised tensions, unnecessarily and without provocation, threatening confrontation between two NATO Allies, must not be repeated,' the PM said.

On the COVID-19 pandemic, Tsipras, as he has from the beginning, lambasted the government with the charge that it mismanaged the public health crisis.

Erdogan has not at all curbed his steadfast nationalist rhetoric, as the problem for the West is for Turkey not to break away, and not Turkey threatening those within the Western camp.

There is also a different geopolitical environment after the restoration of the relationship with the US following US President Joe Biden’s trip to Europe and the NATO summit in Brussels.

'We shall live side-by-side with Turkey, so we must find a way, even when we disagree, to continue talking and managing our differences in a civilised manner,' the Greek PM said.

The bilateral negotiations process is intimately connected with EU-Turkey relations and Ankara by all accounts hopes to be remunerated for its good behaviour.

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

The question that arises is what is to be done from now on? Will the effort to normalise Greek-Turkish relations continue or will it be nipped in the bud?