Eastern Mediterranean

The announcement in Ankara on Tuesday that part of the fenced-off ghost town of Varosha in Turkish-occupied Cyprus will be opened for development by Turkish Cypriots was seen in Greece as seriously undermining the recent efforts between the two countries for dialogue.

Turkish relief efforts following Beirut's deadly port blast are also helping to strengthen bilateral relations, said a Turkish parliamentarian on Aug. 15.

A defense agreement signed between France and Greek Cyprus is against the 1960 treaties that provide equilibrium between Turkish and Greek Cypriots on the island and poses a risk for the already fragile stability and security, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a written statement over the weekend.

From the signing of the Turkey-Libya agreement on maritime boundaries, it was clear that there had to be a response from the Greek side. The fact is that the above memorandum is completely illegal. International maritime law suggests that for there to be an agreement on maritime boundaries between nations they must have either adjacent or opposite coastlines.

Marking 46 years since the second phase of Turkey's invasion of Cyprus, the Greek president said that the perennial national goal is to end the occupation of the island's northern part by Turkish troops.

Katerina Sakellaropoulou said that fresh threats and provocations by Ankara "are not going to distract us from our national priorities."

Israel and the United Arab Emirates announced on Aug. 13 that they will normalize diplomatic ties and forge a broad new relationship, a move that reshapes the order of Middle East politics from the Palestinian issue to the fight against Iran.   

As part of the plan to reopen Israel's skies, Israelis returning from certain countries will not be required to go into isolation.

Turkey's illegal activities in the Eastern Mediterraenan undermine stability and security and are a threat to all countries in the region, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said during a visit to Israel on Thursday.

The Egyptian presidency said on Thursday the maritime deal signed earlier this month between Athens and Cairo is "a turning point in the bilateral relations between the two countries."

Turkey is not chasing unnecessary adventures in the eastern Mediterranean, but its rights and interests, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, calling on Greece and Greek Cyprus to stop ignoring the rights of Turkey and Turkish Cypriots and return to common sense for a win-win resolution.