In an atmosphere of tension, the week began for the Greek-Turkish relationships and while in Athena a meeting of delegations of the two countries will be held today for the Confidence Building Measures and Friday there will be an appointment at Constantinople for the positive agenda.
Yesterday, the authorities Greek Authorities of Heraklion Station issued NAVTEX HA14 -354/25 to conduct military operations without fire today (22/4) NATO Forces in its sea area Kastelorizou and the Turkey a little later it hastened to issue its own announcement for the same exercise claiming that the Greek authorities were incompetent.
Specifically, with NAVTEX 0394/24 o Turkish Principles declare that the Heraklion Station issued an announcement which concerns the area that the issuing responsibility NAVTEX belongs to Turkey and for this reason it “reissues” the announcement for the realization of NATO activity in the region.
Her move today Turkey together with the threats launched due to the announcement of the creation of the two marine parks burden the climate and make it difficult to “get along” in the talks they are having today in Athena the two delegations headed by them H. Lalako and M. Aksapar for military MOEs.
The Greek NAVTEX:
- ZCZC HA14
- 191430 UTC APR 24
- IRAQLEIO RADIO NAVWARN 354/24
- KASTELLORIZO SEA
- NATO FORCES MILITARY ACTIVITIES WITHOUT FIRING
- FROM 220845 UTC UNTIL 221045 UTC APR 24
- IN AREA BOUNDED BY:
- 35-42.00N 028-21.00E
- 35-40.00N 029-56.00E
- 34-55.00N 029-56.00E
- 34-55.00N 028-21.00E
- CAUTION ADVISED
- CANCEL THIS MSG 221145 UTC APR 24
- NNNN
The Turkish NAVTEX:
- TURNHOS N/W: 0394/24 (Antalya NAVTEX Station) (Published Date: 21- 04-2024 15:30)
- TURNHOS N/W: 0394/24
- MEDITERRANEAN SEA
- 1. IRAKLEIO NAVTEX STATION MESSAGE HA14-354/24 TRANSMITTED COVERING A REGION IN TURKISH NAVTEX SERVICE AREA, RETRANSMITTED BY ANTALYA NAVTEX STATION FOR MARINERS’ SAFETY.
- 2. NATO FORCES MILITARY ACTIVITIES WITHOUT FIRING FROM 220845 UTC UNTIL 221045 UTC APR 24 IN AREA BOUNDED BY;
- 35 42.00 N – 028 21.00 E
- 35 40.00 N-029 56.00 E
- 34 55.00 N – 029 56.00 E
- 34 55.00 N – 028 21.00 E
- CAUTION ADVISED.
- 3. CANCEL THIS MSG 221145 UTC APR 24
“Rendezvous” for MOE and movements from Athens and Ankara
Today (22/4) at Athena a meeting of delegations of the two countries is held for the Confidence Building Measures and Friday there will be an appointment at Constantinople for the positive agenda.
These are two meetings that will give an insight into the strategy that will be followed in the next period Anchorwhich has recently returned to a rhetoric of tension.
In Athena they follow the developments calmly and the goal is to maintain the bridges of communication although it is recognized that the road is long and the differences remain. The prime minister’s tete-a-tete Kyriakou Mitsotakis with the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been set for May 13, while the timing of the meeting is also of particular interest as it will take place in a complex geopolitical setting with multiple challenges in the wider region.
Today’s meeting about Confidence Building Measures will be held at Ministry of Defense both delegations will be led by the Ambassador Theoharis Lalakos and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Burak Aksapar. The highest and most senior officers will also participate Armed of forces of the two countries. It is recalled that the previous meeting on Confidence Building Measures, had taken place on November 13 of last year in Anchor.
It is expected with particular interest what positions the Turkish side will come up with, which has recently been following a conflicting strategy. On the one hand it seems to return to one gray area rhetoric and on the other hand it seems that he does not wish to take responsibility for the end of the dialogue.
In his recent statements, Mr. Erdogan referred to the Prime Minister’s visit to Anchor the Maynoting “we will have an opportunity to talk about how we can bring relationships Turkey and Greece in a much better position.” However, in the last few weeks, the neighbors have been raising their voices more and more and there has been a barrage of statements on the issue of marine parks. And now it remains to be seen whether the Turkish side will continue with similar rhetoric or choose to tone down the tone, as only three weeks remain until the meeting Kyriakou Mitsotakis by Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The meeting that will take place on Friday in Istanbul on the positive agenda, i.e. on the issues that can bring the two sides together, can contribute to improving the climate. Yesterday in an interview with ethnos.gr the Under Secretary of State for Economic Diplomacy and Outreach Kostas Fragogiannis he noted that emphasis will be placed mainly on issues of more effective cooperation between the business communities of the two countries, but also on issues of synergy in the field of innovation, research and technology.
The answer of Athens
The government considers its reaction completely unjustified Turkey in the matter of marine parks as well it is about for an initiative that has an environmental nature. And Kyriakos Mitsotakis in his statements he made it clear that Greece will proceed with the creation of environmental parks.
In Athena the willingness to continue the dialogue is a given but at the same time it is emphatically emphasized that “it is a given that we are not retreating from our sovereign rights”. From here on, it is recognized that the Turkish positions will not change from one day to the next, but the goal is that any differences that exist do not automatically create tensions.
In this context, an attempt is being made to bring forward issues that can bring the two countries closer, and the more serious agenda can be left for later. From Mytilene the prime minister emphasized that the improvement of Greek-Turkish relations has tangible results in everyday life and referred to the reduction in immigration flows (as there is cooperation between the port authorities and the Turkish authorities) but also to the visa facilitation program which leads to an increase in Turkish visitors.
How is Erdogan doing?
The Turkish president seeks to appear as a player on the diplomatic chessboard, however it remains to be seen how his moves will affect his relations with the West. THE Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with the president of the Hamas Politburo Ismail Haniya in Constantinople (a move that caused reactions from Israel), while the Turkish Foreign Minister discussed with his Egyptian counterpart the situation in Gaza and developments in general. The Turkish president has his eyes on the wider region and will visit Iraq after 12 years.
It should be noted here that it remains to be clarified whether there will be an “appointment” in the next period of Mr. Erdogan with the president of USA in the White House. Yesterday some Turkish media reported that the meeting was not going to take place, however officially there was neither confirmation nor denial.
