Greece and Turkey prepare for a new process to resolve maritime border dispute
The two rivals have agreed to discuss a new framework for talks, but the gulf between them is vast
Briefing Note
The Greek and Turkish foreign ministers are to meet on November 8 to discuss the framework for talks on setting maritime borders, diplomatic sources told the Greek media today.
Greek foreign minister George Gerapetritis had said earlier in October that he and his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, received instructions to proceed after Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan met on the sidelines of the 79th UN General Assembly last month.
The political will on display thus far is in itself important. The two countries officially started exploratory talks on maritime boundaries in 2001. Turkey broke them off after a 2016 coup attempt nearly toppled the government. They resumed in January 2021, after Greece and Turkey nearly came to blows over hydrocarbon exploration in 2020, but did not lead to an agreement.
After elections in May and June last year renewed their mandates, Mitsotakis and Erdogan agreed to reset relations with a positive economic agenda and confidence-building measures for the military. That has eased Turkish violations of Greek airspace in the Aegean as well as migration pressure.
Perhaps deliberately, Greece has issued some contradictory statements on what would be up for discussion.
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