Exploratory talks between Greece, Turkey begin with guarded optimism

Diplomatic delegations in Greece and Ankara met for three hours today in Ankara to launch exploratory talks on bilateral issues.

It was the 61st round of such talks, which commenced in 2002, when George Papandreou was foreign minister, and were abruptly terminated in 2016 after an abortive coup against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2016.

As expected, the first meeting began with basic disagreements on the agenda for prospective negotiations as Athens insists that the sole topic to be discussed is the delimitation of the two countries' Exclusive Economic Zones and of the continental shelf while Turkey laid out a lengthy and longstanding list of claims including the demilitarisation of Aegean islands near the Turkish coast.

The aim of the talks is to find enough common ground to launch full-fledged negotiations.

In an apparent signal that he views the resumption of talks as a priority on his agenda, Erdogan dispatched top advisor Ibrahim Kalin to participate along with diplomats in the Turkish delegation.

Kalin in a tweet after the meeting stated that, "It is possible to solve all problems, including the Aegean, and we have a will for this. Regional peace and stability is in everyone's interest."

Both the EU and the US in statements welcomed the resumption of talks.

The two sides agreed to hold the next round of talks in Athens, most likely in March.

The timing is not coincidental as EU leaders in December agreed to revisit the prospect of sanctions against Turkey at their March summit.

Aside from the encroachment on member states' (Greece and Cyprus) sovereign rights in the Eastern Mediterranean, the EU has expressed consternation over a Turkey-Libya agreement delimiting the two countries EEZs in a...