What’s new? Turkey and Greece have returned to talks after their mid-2020 dispute over sovereignty in the eastern Mediterranean Sea devolved into the longest-lasting military face-off since the 1970s. The discussions could help the parties de-escalate tensions and move from brinkmanship to dialogue.
Why did it happen? Tensions flared in 2019-2020 when Ankara – seeking a say in energy projects – sent seismic research ships to waters contested with Greece and the Republic of Cyprus, intervened in Libya’s civil war and signed a maritime delimitation deal with Tripoli. Turkey’s rivals have increasingly aligned with Greece over competing sovereignty claims.
Although Mevlüt Çavuşoglu’s private visit to Komotini was considered milderthan other visits by Turkish government officials in the past, the Turkish Foreign Minister reiterated Ankara’s expected proclivities regarding Thrace.
Although Mevlüt Çavuşoglu's private visit to Komotini was considered milderthan other visits by Turkish government officials in the past, the Turkish Foreign Minister reiterated Ankara's expected proclivities regarding Thrace.
Colère de la Grèce après la visite de Cavusoglu à une minorité musulmane timesofisrael.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from timesofisrael.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias (left) and his Turkish counterpart in Ankara, recently. Credit: Greek Ministry of Foreign AffairsThe Cultural Association of the Pomaks in Greece’s northern city of Xanthi issued a damning statement recently, ahead of Sunday’s private visit of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to Western Thrace.The Association said that Cavusoglu is not…