Imia/Kardak

«As two neighbors, we are destined to live in the same geography. Therefore, we should define our relationship with cooperation rather than conflict. It is in our hands to determine our destiny and the way forward,» Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu declared on the eve of his talks today with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias.

Turkey often cites the treaties of Lausanne and Paris, claiming that there are gaps in their provisions which create ambiguity. This has given rise to theories about so-called "gray zones," which refer to islands and islets whose sovereignty, Ankara says, is not clear. Such a position, however, is relatively new for Turkey, which had a completely different approach just a few decades ago.

A video released on Thursday by a news website on the eastern Aegean island of Kalymnos appears to show a Turkish coast guard patrol vessel harassing a Greek fishing boat near Imia, a cluster of uninhabited islets that brought Greece and Turkey to the brink of war in 1996.

By George Gilson

After a year of Turkish threats to Greek sovereignty on land, at the Evros border region, and at sea, in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean, the Greek foreign ministry in a curt statement announced that the 61st round of Greek-Turkish «exploratory talks» will begin on 25 January in Istanbul.

A Hellenic Coast Guard patrol boat that was rammed by a Turkish vessel near the uninhabited islets of Imia in the early hours of Wednesday has only suffered minor damage, authorities said Thursday.

A Greek and a Turkish Coast Guard boat collided near the rocky islets of Imia in the Aegean Sea on Wednesday morning when the Turkish vessel rammed the Greek one which was patrolling the area, according to the Greek Coast Guard on Wednesday.

The Greek newly-built Rafnar type speedboat suffered some damages, according to sources that did not specify their extent.

Defence Minister Nikos Papagiotopoulos denied the public statement of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Athens agreed with Ankara not to approach the Imia islets on the anniversary of the 1996 dispute over their sovereignty brought the two countries to the brink of war.

Erdogan's remark triggered a political backlash in Athens.

Deputy Defense Minister Alkiviadis Stefanis said on Thursday that Greece is maintaining dialogue with Turkey but that the country's armed forces are on standby.

"Diplomacy is the first choice," he told Skai radio. "We have open channels of communication but the armed forces are ready to do what is necessary in coordination with the Foreign Ministry," he added.

Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos has denied reports widely circulated in the Greek media on Thursday alleging that he had challenged claims by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan regarding Imia islets.
A statement from the Defense Ministry said Panagiotopoulos "never made such a statement."

Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos rejected on Thursday claims by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that he sent a message to Greece through Defense Minister Hulusi Akar not to make any "move" over the eastern Aegean islets of Imia, for which the two countries were brought to the brink of war twenty-four years ago.