According to a statement issued by Greece’s foreign ministry on Wednesday, Greece and Turkey are considering beginning conversations about demarcating respective maritime zones. Both countries, NATO partners with a long history of friction, have been at odds for decades over problems ranging from airspace conflicts to marine authority in the eastern Mediterranean, as well as Cyprus’ unresolved status.
The designation of maritime zones is critical in deciding rights to potential natural gas reserves and future power infrastructure developments. While tensions were intense in the past, new efforts have been made to normalise ties. Last year, Greece and Turkey agreed to keep communication channels open and work on longstanding disputes.
On Tuesday, Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met in New York for the annual United Nations General Assembly. According to statements released by both the Turkish presidency and the Greek foreign ministry, they addressed bilateral relations.
Following their meeting, Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis declared that the two leaders had directed their foreign ministries to assess if conditions were favourable to begin talks on defining the continental shelf and exclusive economic zones. The Greek prime minister’s office acknowledged that preparations for a high-level meeting in Ankara in January have already begun.
