FILE – In this Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, file photo, Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, right, and Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan leave after their statements at Maximos Mansion in Athens, Greece. Delegations from Greece and Turkey were meeting in Athens, on Monday, April 22, 2024 as part of long-standing efforts to improve often tense relations between the two neighbors, days after Turkey voiced objections over Greece’s plans to create marine nature reserves in the Ionian and Aegean seas. (AP Photo/Michael Varaklas, File) Share
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Delegations from Greece and Turkey were meeting in Athens on Monday as part of long-standing efforts to improve often tense relations between the two neighbors, days after Turkey voiced objections over Greece’s plans to create marine nature reserves in the Ionian and Aegean seas.
The two regional rivals are NATO allies but have been at odds for decades over a series of issues, including territorial claims in the Aegean and drilling rights in the Mediterranean, and have come to the brink of war three times in the last 50 years. A dispute over energy exploration rights in 2020 led to the two countries’ warships facing off in the Mediterranean.
Monday’s meeting in the Defense Ministry in Athens was to discuss confidence-building measures, following a similar meeting in Ankara last November. The two countries have engaged in the confidence-building process on and off for years, trying to seek common ground on a series of lower-key issues as a means of improving ties.
The meeting comes ahead of planned talks in Ankara on May 13 between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. RELATED COVERAGE
Tense ties have improved significantly over the past year, with Erdogan visiting Athens in December and signing a raft of trade, energy and education deals.
But Mitsotakis’ announcement last week that Greece will create two marine parks for the protection of sea mammals and birds — one in the Ionian Sea in western Greece and one in the central Aegean — has angered Turkey.
Omer Celik, spokesman for Erdogan’s ruling party, said last week that Ankara considers the creation of the marine parks “a step that sabotages the normalization process” in relations, and said Turkey would “in no way allow actions toward the declaration of marine parks in the Aegean Sea.”
Mitsotakis, speaking last week after a meeting of European leaders in Brussels, expressed surprise at what he described as “Turkey’s totally unjustified reaction to an initiative which at the end of the day is of an environmental nature.”
The Greek prime minister said the recent improvement in relations between Greece and Turkey was “undeniable and measurable,” but that this did not mean Turkey had changed its positions on the delineation of maritime zones in the Aegean and the eastern Mediterranean.
“But this does not prevent us from being able to talk, to create a general good climate and invest more in a positive agenda and less in the issues which divide us and over which we clearly disagree.”
Turkey’s delegation at Monday’s talks was led by Deputy Foreign Minister Burak Akcapar, while the Greek one was headed by Ambassador Theocharis Lalakos, Greece’s Defense Ministry said.
Greece and Turkey have a long, intertwined history that can make their relationship seem confusing to outsiders. Though they are separate countries today, they were once part of the same empire and their populations mingled for centuries. I’ll explain the key events and disputes that shape their relations.
Ottoman Rule
From the 1400s to early 1900s Greece and much of modern-day Turkey were part of the Ottoman Empire. The Greeks lived as an ethnic minority within the multi-ethnic empire. Several Greek uprisings against Ottoman rule took place but it wasn’t until the 1820s that Greece won independence.
New Borders After WWI
After World War I and the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the borders between Greece and Turkey were redrawn. The Treaty of Sevres in 1920 gave Greece lands in eastern Thrace and around the Aegean coast of Turkey. However, Turkish forces under Ataturk pushed back the Greek army and regained control of most of this territory.
The 1923 Treaty of Lausanne set the borders largely as they are today with an exchange of minority populations between the new nations. Over 1 million Orthodox Christians moved from Turkey to Greece while 400,000 Muslims moved the other way.
Shared History in the Aegean
The Aegean Sea and associated islands have been flashpoints between Greece and Turkey. Many of the Aegean islands were historically inhabited by both Greek and Turkish populations over the centuries of Ottoman rule.
Today, Greece controls the Aegean islands near the Turkish coast. However, Turkey has disputed the extent of Greek territorial waters, airspace control, and economic rights in the Aegean. These disputes have led to military brinkmanship and continue to strain relations.
The Divided Island of Cyprus
The Mediterranean island of Cyprus has an ethnic Greek majority and Turkish minority population. In 1974, tensions led Turkey to invade northern Cyprus, dividing the island. The self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is only recognized by Turkey.
This dispute keeps Turkey and Greece on opposing sides. As an EU member, Greece insists Turkey recognize the Greek Cypriot government over the whole island. Resolving Cyprus’ division is a key issue for improving Greco-Turkish relations.
Ongoing EU Tensions
Greece has been an EU member since 1981 while Turkey has sought membership since 1987. Greece long opposed Turkey joining the EU though its stance has softened over time. The EU membership process has stalled as Turkey no longer prioritizes joining.
Yet tensions remain as Greece and the EU criticize Turkey’s human rights record and Turkey feels unfairly excluded from Europe. This has contributed to Turkey turning away from its secular founding principles back towards its Islamic roots.
Signs of Rapprochement
While serious disputes remain, there have been attempts at reconciliation such as the 1930 Greco-Turkish Friendship Treaty. More recently, humanitarian gestures after earthquakes in both countries in 1999 led to a thaw in relations.
Leaders have exchanged visits, and in 2022 the countries signed a declaration on good neighborly relations. However, deeper issues like the status of Aegean borders and Cyprus must still be resolved for a true normalization of ties.
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Dimitris Papamitsos/Greek Prime Minister’s Office/Handout via REUTERS Purchase Licensing Rights ATHENS, July 12 (Reuters) – Greece and Turkey agreed on Wednesday to resume talks and confidence-building measures as they hailed a new “positive climate” in ties after more than a year of tensions between the historic foes.
Are Greece & Turkey rethinking their relations?
ATHENS, Dec 7 (Reuters) – Greece and Turkey on Thursday agreed to reboot their relations, establishing a roadmap designed to usher in a new era of closer ties between the two NATO allies but historical foes.
What did Greece and Turkey agree to do in Athens?
Greece and Turkey on Thursday agreed to reboot their relations and usher in a new era of ties between the two NATO allies but historic foes. In a landmark visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Athens, the two countries agreed to boost trade and establish communication channels between coastguards to tackle the issue of migration.
Are Turkey & Greece in a war?
Turkey and Greece, which are NATO members, have been at odds for decades over a series of issues, including territorial claims in the Aegean Sea and drilling rights in the Mediterranean, and have come to the brink of war three times in the last half-century.