Exploratory contacts resume with low expectations

Exploratory contacts between Greece and Turkey resume Monday at Istanbul's Swissotel, with Athens having particularly low expectations of a substantial outcome due to the different agendas set by both sides.

Greece insists that the demarcation of maritime zones is the only issue up for discussion, while Turkey wants a whole range of issues on the table, from the demilitarization of Greek islands and "gray zones" in the Aegean to the rights of Greece's Muslim minority in Thrace.

In light of these differences, Monday's meeting of delegations is seen as a litmus test for the overall course of the exploratory contacts and a foretaste of the climate that will prevail in the coming months.

For the Greek side the outcome of these contacts will be contingent on the approach Turkey will take. More specifically, if Ankara signals a willingness to engage in a constructive...