Greece optimistic over talks with Turkey but won’t discuss sovereignty

Greece will approach talks with Turkey next week over their disputed territorial claims in a hopeful spirit but will not discuss issues it considers as sovereign rights, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Wednesday.

Mitsotakis was speaking ahead of a parliamentary vote on a bill extending Greece's western territorial waters to 12 nautical miles from six currently, days before NATO allies Greece and Turkey resume exploratory talks over contested maritime claims in the Aegean.

The talks are set to begin in Istanbul on January 25, after a four-year pause.

"We will attend with optimism, self-confidence," Mitsotakis said, but there would be "zero naivety" from Athens about the talks, which were unofficial and non-binding.

"There will be no discussion on national sovereignty," he added.

He said the discussions were expected to resume at the...