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The first warships clashed, but now Turkey and Greece want to negotiate in the Mediterranean dispute. However, a proposal by the Turkish president could again be problematic.
Due to tensions surrounding gas drilling in the eastern Mediterranean, Turkey has announced that it will hold talks with its disputed partner, Greece. Both sides are “ready to start exploratory talks,” declared the Turkish presidency. The Greek government confirmed the upcoming talks. Before that, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and EU Council President Charles Michel discussed the issue in a video conference.
The course of the talks depends on Greece’s next steps, Erdogan said, according to the statement from his office. “The push to reduce tension and create channels for dialogue must be based on mutual steps.”
Meeting scheduled in Istanbul
The Turkish head of state hopes that the EU summit in early October will bring “new life” to relations between the EU and Ankara, he said. Possible new EU sanctions against Turkey will also be discussed at the summit.
The Greek Foreign Ministry confirmed the continuation of talks with Ankara, which had been on hold since 2016. A meeting should be held soon in Istanbul.
Erdogan proposed, according to the Turkish Presidency’s statement, that a regional conference be held with all parties involved in the dispute, including the Turkish Cypriots. Such a conference could have “positive and constructive effects” on the situation in the eastern Mediterranean, Erdogan said. Problem with the EU proposal: Northern Cyprus is not recognized as a state by any country except Turkey. Therefore negotiations could be problematic.
Erdogan denounces the “harassment” of the West
The president had already addressed the tensions between Ankara and Athens in his speech at the general debate of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday. In a video, the Turkish president called for a “candid” dialogue to resolve the dispute. At the same time, he denounced the “harassment” of the West.
Since the discovery of rich gas deposits in the eastern Mediterranean, there has been a heated debate about their exploitation. EU members Greece and Cyprus as well as Turkey are claiming the affected maritime areas and supporting this by sending warships.
