Avoiding the trap

Ankara is not being secretive about what it wants, putting all its claims on the table and increasing its activities in the Aegean. What we once saw as excessive has become routine. Overflights above big Greek islands, for example, did not used to be part of the Turkish repertory but now they are a common occurrence.

Here in Athens, we try every so often to guess at what is happening. Mediators, parallel channels of negotiation, and initiatives by other countries generate hope that the situation can be defused, but only briefly. When Athens sends a message seeking to restart exploratory talks, for example, it doesn't even get an answer from the other side. Key people Greece could once talk to have all but disappeared from the Turkish stage and no longer have access to the Palace.

Turkey's tactic is to increase the psychological pressure on Greece and impose faits...