Greek–Turkish relations

The message coming out of Athens after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said via Kathimerini on Thursday that he wants good relations with Greece was that Athens' intentions after the elections to hold discussions with Ankara and any president of Turkey remain sincere, without, however, cultivating naive expectations that Turkey's foreign policy will change in the long run.

There are encouraging signs of progress in Greek-Turkish relations, according to the German Chancellery's Foreign and Security Policy Adviser Jens Ploetner. Speaking to Kathimerini as he attended the eighth edition of the Delphi Economic Forum, the former German ambassador to Athens stresses that Berlin is ready to facilitate bilateral contacts "if so wished by the parties."

The return to provocative statements by Turkish officials after the lull in tensions since the February earthquakes is being attributed in Athens to the election campaign in the neighboring country.

Athens on Tuesday responded to fresh provocations from Ankara, dismissing recent comments by Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu as serving a domestic political agenda as Turkey heads to general elections on May 14.

Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias welcomes the recent thaw in Greek-Turkish relations but reiterates that Athens remains cautious.

The chairperson of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations has reiterated his opposition to the sale of F-16 fighters to Turkey, saying "Turkey has not done enough to be rewarded in this way."

"I continue to be against the sale of F-16s," Senator Bob Menendez told state broadcaster ERT, adding that the Erdogan government needs to stop its belligerent behavior towards Greece.

The resumption of Turkey's challenging Greek sovereignty over some islands in the east Aegean with Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu's proposal that all differences between the two countries, including those which dispute Greece's rights, are referred to the international court at The Hague came as no surprise to anyone following developments in the last few months.

Turkey's foreign minister has said there are islands in the Aegean "whose sovereignty has not been determined" and where there are "violations," in an apparent return to the questioning of Greek sovereignty over its islands in the region.

Greece "should be optimistic but also careful and not naive" as regards Greek-Turkish relations, Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias has said.

The bilateral relationship between Greece and Turkey after the massive February 6 tremors appears to indicate that so-called earthquake diplomacy has successfully brought the two countries closer together. Turkish officials have ceased making provocative statements and fighter jets no longer violate Greek airspace on a daily basis.