A potentially irksome Greece

After 1923 Greece and Turkey determined their place in the international system mostly through the prism of their bilateral relations. This was a result of Turkey's longstanding decision to remain anchored to the West and to Europe. Greece was a key factor in these ties.

The situation changed under the leadership of Recep Tayyip Erdogan. While Turkey's economy flourished, the country developed regional strategies that were independent of its European Union membership ambitions. These strategies strengthened its international status, while boosting its self-confidence. Greece is no longer the main priority in Ankara's foreign policy. Turkey is now viewing Greece with the logic of the old Ottoman Empire: Greece is too big to ignore and too small to pose a threat. In fact, Greece annoys Turkey because it is influencing EU-Turkey relations, while potentially verging into Turkey...

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