Eastern Mediterranean

Turkey and Britain share views on many important issues, and joint action would promote these shared interests, as confirmed by a visit by Turkey's defense chief to the U.K., said an official statement on April 9. 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed bilateral ties and regional issues of interest to both countries in a video call on March 5, said an official statement.

Erdoğan stressed the importance of maintaining open communications and dialogue with Merkel, said Turkey's Communications Directorate.

Turkish Presidential Spokesman İbrahim Kalın and U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan discussed bilateral ties over the phone on Feb. 2, an official statement said.

Besides Turkey-U.S. relations, the top officials discussed Eastern Mediterranean, Cyprus, Afghanistan, Upper Karabakh, Syria, Libya and the COVID-19 pandemic during the nearly 1-hour-long conversation.

US President Joe Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, and Turkey's presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin held a telephone call in what marks the first contact between the new American administration and Ankara, according to media reports.

No details were immediately available about the conversation.

Defence Minister Evangelos Apostolakis, the former Chairman of Greece's Joint Chiefs of Staff, has welcomed the Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act of 2019 as a move that confirms and upgrades Greece's strategic role in the broader region.

While many cruise companies have canceled their trips to Turkey over security concerns, Eastern Mediterranean-based Celestyal Cruises has increased its number of voyages to the country.