When Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis travels to Ankara, ancient enemy Turkey and Greece will put their five-month-old connection program to the test on Monday.
The two NATO people, which share years of mutual animosity, a anxious borders and disputed lakes, agreed to side issues last December. Otherwise, they´re focusing on trade and energy, repairing historical ties and a long list of different items placed on the therefore- called good agenda.
What the two parties hope to accomplish and the issues that have hampered relations in the past:
In an effort to strengthen relations after Athens showed Ankara cooperation following a destructive earthquake that hit southern Turkey last month, Mitsotakis will match with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Monday.
The two officials, who share sharp disagreements about the Israeli-Hamas fight, want to prevent further unrest in the eastern Mediterranean as the conflict in Ukraine rages on.
In a statement made last week in a statement about the visit, Mitsotakis said,” We often approach our conversations with Turkey with confidence and without any illusions that Turkish jobs will never change.” ” However, I think it’s imperative that when we disagree, the channels of communication should always be empty”.
Without creating strain, he said,” we should believe without creating an increase on the ground.”
Ioannis Grigoriadis, a professor of social science at Ankara’s Bilkent University, said the two leaders may look for ways” to increase the positive agenda and look for topics where the two sides you find win- win solutions”, such as in trade, tourism and migration.
Erdogan and Athens first met in first December, and the two nations have since maintained normal high-level links to promote a range of fence-mending activities, including education markets and commerce.
By skipping the more time-consuming process required to enter Europe’s common travel area, known as the Schengen place, Turkish residents can go to 10 Greek islands this summer.
Greeks and Turks will both come to terms with the fact that both sides have more in common than they think, according to Grigoriadis, who said that this provides a wonderful opportunity to improve financial ties between the two countries.
Athens Excludes Says of NATO ‘ Ally ‘ Turkey on Greek Islandshttps: //t. co/CuetmVY4NH
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Over the past five years, conflicts have sparked heated exchanges between Athens and Ankara, most recently over sea edges and the right to investigate for assets in the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean lakes.
Additionally, Cyprus, which was divided in 1974 when Turkey invaded following a coup by Greek-backed followers, is a topic of contention between the two nations. In the northern third of the island, just Turkey acknowledges a Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence.
A marine conflict in 2020 and Erdogan’s pledge to end discussions with the Mitsotakis government were the result of a disagreement over the investigation of energy sources. However, after relationships cooled and Erdogan made a wider efforts to re-engage with European nations, the two males met three times last month.
On Monday, the two countries ‘ unusual officials, Turkish national Hakan Fidan and Greek national George Gerapetritis, are scheduled to meet for a separate appointment.
Erdogan’s announcement to convert a former Byzantine religion to a mosque just months before Mitsotakis ‘ visit, which attracted censure from Greece and the Greek Orthodox church. The Chora served as a gallery for many years before being converted into a dome, much like Istanbul’s famous Hagia Sophia.
Turkey, however, has criticized recently announced intentions by Greece to proclaim places in the Ionian and Aegean lakes as “marine gardens” to sustain aquatic life. Turkey calls the unilateral declaration in the Aegean” a step that sabotages the normalization process,” citing the fact that some areas remain in dispute.
Grigoriadis suggested that Greece and Turkey could concentrate on restoring Ottoman-era remains in Greece and Greek Orthodox remains in Turkey. ” That would be an opportunity” for improved ties, he said.
