Greece, Turkey Reportedly Holding Private Talks in Brussels to Improve Relations
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Greek media reported on Monday that Germany hosted a private meeting in Brussels between the top foreign policy advisers to the leaders of Greece and Turkey to discuss the rapprochement of the two countries after years of persistent tensions.
Greece's Anna-Maria Bura met with Turkey's Ibrahim Kalin on December 16 in the presence of German Chancellor's foreign policy adviser Jens Ploetner, Germany's former ambassador to Greece, Sputnik reported, citing local media.
The meeting took place in the German mission to the European Union without any preconditions on either side, the report said.
Turkey and Greece have been at odds for decades, with the risk of an armed conflict arising several times since 2020. The disputed issues include competing territorial claims in the Eastern Mediterranean, in particular in the region of the Aegean Sea, the Greek-Turkish divide in Cyprus, and the delimitation of maritime borders. Turkey has repeatedly accused Greece of deploying weapons on Aegean islands in violation of the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne.
In late August, a new round of tensions flared up when Greece allegedly used S-300 air defense systems to radar-lock Turkish air force F-16 fighters performing a reconnaissance mission west of the island of Rhodes. The Greek Defense Ministry denied Turkey's claim that Athens deployed its S-300s in Crete against Turkish F-16s.
In October, Turkey tested its indigenous short-range Tayfun ballistic missile over the Black Sea. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the test a "signal" but did not specify to whom.