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Greece-Turkey Talks: Progress and Challenges
Greek and Turkish foreign ministers met in Athens to discuss maritime boundaries and other issues, agreeing to maintain open communication and de-escalate tensions despite differing views.
Greek
Greece
PoliticsInternational RelationsMiddle EastEuropean UnionDiplomacyConflict ResolutionEast Mediterranean
NatoUnOsceGreek Ministry Of Foreign AffairsTurkish Ministry Of Foreign Affairs
Kyriakos MitsotakisRecep Tayyip ErdoganGeorge GerapetritisHakan FidanNikos Androulakis
- What differing views were expressed regarding the Cyprus issue?
- The two foreign ministers expressed opposing views on the Cyprus issue, with Greece emphasizing a UN-based solution and Turkey suggesting that the federation model is no longer viable. Fidan also raised the issue of protecting Ottoman monuments in Greece, an offer consistently rejected by Athens.
- What is the planned roadmap for future interactions between Greece and Turkey?
- A dense roadmap of contacts has been established between Greece and Turkey, including upcoming political dialogue meetings and ministerial-level discussions, leading up to a summit between Mitsotakis and Erdogan in early 2025. Turkish officials express satisfaction with the current state of affairs, attributing it to the will of both leaders to maintain a positive climate.
- What mechanism was agreed upon to de-escalate tensions between Greece and Turkey?
- The meeting resulted in an agreement to establish a diplomatic mechanism for preventing tensions between Greece and Turkey. This mechanism aims to avoid incidents like the near-crisis in Kasos last July and promote regular communication to address core issues.
- What was Prime Minister Mitsotakis's assessment of the meeting and Greece's position?
- Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis commented on the meeting, emphasizing Greece's strong position due to its military, economy, and geopolitical alliances. He highlighted progress on issues like visa facilitation and cooperation on refugees and the OSCE, while acknowledging the lack of a common framework for their main disagreement on maritime boundaries.
- What was the main topic discussed during the meeting between the Greek and Turkish foreign ministers?
- Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis and his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan met in Athens to discuss maritime zone delimitation. While both sides reiterated their established positions, they agreed to explore ways to advance substantive discussions. Future ministerial meetings and a summit between the two leaders are planned.