Ongoing Dialogue for “Calm Waters”

The upcoming summit meeting between Mitsotakis and Erdoğan on Wednesday in Turkey, within the framework of the 6th Supreme Cooperation Council of the two countries, has been planned in every detail by the diplomatic teams in Athens and Ankara. Its shared objective will be the maintenance and strengthening of active communication channels to establish a functional relationship at a moment when uncertainty and instability prevail internationally.

The Prime Minister’s recent statements (Foreign Policy), just a few days before the leaders’ face-to-face, were recorded positively by Turkish media, with special reference to Mitsotakis’s remark that he does not foresee a significant risk of escalation with Turkey, emphasizing that “the situation is now clearly more manageable,” as both he and the Turkish president are “two experienced leaders.” The main “thorn,” from the perspective of Turkish media, is, pending the SCC, the one and only dispute that Greece—according to the Prime Minister—recognizes with Turkey: the delimitation of the continental shelf and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

As both Athens and Ankara note, from consultations prior to the upcoming Mitsotakis-Erdoğan summit, no common ground has yet been established regarding the scope of discussion on maritime boundary delimitation. Nevertheless, the Greek side continues to reiterate that there is always room for a