Türkiye, Greece hold military talks in Thessaloniki

THESSALONIKI

Military delegations from Türkiye and Greece began a new round of technical talks on April 28 in Thessaloniki, focusing on confidence-building measures in the Aegean Sea.

The discussions are set to continue through April 29, according to a statement from Türkiye’s Defense Ministry.

These talks are part of the ongoing normalization process between Türkiye and Greece, which began in 2023 under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

A key issue on the agenda is the maritime spatial planning by Greece in the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean, which Türkiye has contested.

Ankara argues that Greece plans violate Türkiye’s rights and says these actions would have no legal consequences for the country. Türkiye announced its intention to submit its own maritime planning and map to UNESCO and relevant U.N. bodies soon.

Despite the disagreements, Türkiye reaffirmed its commitment to resolving all disputes through dialogue, as outlined in the Athens Declaration of 2023.

Meanwhile, Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis expressed a desire to maintain open communication with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, to preserve a calm atmosphere in bilateral relations.

A high-level cooperation council meeting between the two countries is scheduled to take place in Türkiye at a time convenient for Erdoğan and Mitsotakis, Gerapetritis told Greek daily Parapolitika in an interview published over the weekend.

Further engagements between the two countries are also planned, with a Greek business delegation set to visit Istanbul on May 8-9 as part of the "positive agenda."

Gerapetritis is also expected to meet with Fidan on May 14-15 on the sidelines of a NATO meeting in Antalya.