Defense Ministry in Athens

Sources at the Greek Defense Ministry on Wednesday responded to recent remarks by Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler, who accused Greece of violating international conventions by exploring energy reserves in the Aegean Sea.

The meeting on confidence building measures between the Greek and Turkish delegations has concluded in Istanbul, some 24 hours before the arrival in Athens of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

Delegations from Türkiye and Greece were meeting in Athens yesterday as part of long-standing efforts to improve often tense relations between the two neighbors.

Delegations from Greece and Turkey were meeting in Athens on Monday as part of long-standing efforts to improve often tense relations, days after Turkey voiced objections over Greece's plans to create marine nature reserves in the Ionian and Aegean seas.

Greek and Turkish delegations will on Monday hold a meeting on Confidence Building Measures at the Defense Ministry in Athens, according to an announcement on Sunday.

The delegations will be led by Greek Ambassador Theocharis Lalacos and Turkish Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Burak Akcapar. Additionally, high-level Armed Forces officers from both countries will be in attendance.

Poland and Spain have pulled their personnel from a Turkish-led military exercise over the presence of troops from the breakaway entity in Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus, military sources have said.

The exercise, named Anatolian Phoenix, is being held from June 6 to 16 in the Turkish interior.

The third round of discussions on confidence building measures between Greek and Turkish delegations that began on Monday at the Defense Ministry in Athens coincided with 36 air space violations by Turkish fighter jets in the Aegean which led to four mock dogfights.

What next? The storming of the Defense Ministry in Athens by self-styled anarchists demonstrates what happens when the authorities tolerate hooliganism. 

As expected, the government's reaction was along the lines of "no big deal." 

Anyone who is observing developments in this country from a distance, whether an ally or an enemy, will inevitably draw their own conclusions.