Greece–Turkey relations

Greece wants to keep relations with its difficult neighbor and nominal NATO ally Turkey as drama-free as possible in the run-up to the meeting of the bilateral Supreme Cooperation Council in Turkey toward the end of January.

Turkey has reiterated its call for a comprehensive resolution to its disputes with Greece, covering not only maritime boundaries - specifically the continental shelf and exclusive economic zones (EEZ) - but also broader issues, including the demilitarization and sovereignty of eastern Aegean islands.

January is shaping up to be a decisive month for Greek-Turkish relations, as high-level talks between Athens and Ankara continue to explore potential common ground.

Ankara aims to bring the issues of island sovereignty and demilitarization in the eastern Aegean to the negotiating table with Athens, according to a report by Turkey's Hurriyet newspaper, citing diplomatic sources.

Ankara is apparently leveraging the potential reopening of the historic Greek Orthodox Halki theological seminary in Turkey as a bargaining chip in its negotiations with Greece.

Greek officials are alarmed by a recent German court ruling that could lead to the deportation of more migrants back to Greece.

The court in the German state of Hesse ruled in favor of deporting a Somali migrant to Greece, stating that young, healthy men should be able to secure a minimum standard of living through work.

Addressing the current state of Greek-Turkish relations, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis offered cautious optimism while emphasizing ongoing challenges during an interview with Mega TV.

Mitsotakis reflected on his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, noting that while progress is being made, significant hurdles remain.

Today marks 64 years since the founding of the Republic of Cyprus, of which only the first three were relatively peaceful.

A meeting of the Greece-Turkey High-Level Cooperation Council could take place in early 2025, the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has said.