Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan came for a package solution, and his Greek counterpart reiterated Athens’ “firm positions” on the continental shelf and EEZ. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attempted to impose the logic of a “holistic agenda” following his meeting with his Greek counterpart, George Gerapetritis, on Friday, 8 November. Yet with their criticism Samaras and Karamanlis apply the brakes on Gerapetritis
In his statements, he elaborated on all the demands of the Turkish side, touching on issues of Greek sovereignty. Specifically, he spoke about sharing the Aegean Sea, referred to the minority as “our homogeneity in Greece,” and on the Cyprus issue, he severed ties by stating that “the model of federation has proven to be invalid.” All this while the Greek Foreign Minister failed to give clear answers to a number of questions.
Notably, Hakan Fidan stated: “There are several issues in the Aegean that are interconnected, and we have to seek solutions. We cannot limit these problems only to the issues of the continental shelf and EEZ.” Gerapetritis did not respond to Fidan’s reference to the minority as “our expatriates in Greece,” while the Turkish Foreign Minister also appeared provocative on the major issue of Cyprus: “We are discussing the Cyprus problem based on the realities on the island,” and added that “the federation model has proven to be invalid.” This left a negative impression.
Gerapetritis did not rebuff Fidan’s provocative statements, which left many with negative impressions. The criticism from former Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias is also significant, with him commenting that “once again, after his meeting with the Turkish Foreign Minister, the Greek Foreign Minister ‘forgot’ to address the issue of the Cyprus problem, especially regarding the occupying troops and guarantees. This is another major moral and political retreat towards Ankara, once again at the expense of the island.”
In his statement, G. Gerapetritis may have avoided discussing “maritime zones” by referring only to disagreement on the “continental shelf and EEZ,” or invoked UN Security Council resolutions on the Cyprus problem, based on a bicommunal, bi-zonal federation. However, he did not mention Fidan’s statements, which touch on issues of national sovereignty. In fact, the Greek Foreign Minister’s general reference to “minorities” caused a stir.
New Round of Talks in December
At the same time, G. Gerapetritis stated that “in the 16 months that have passed, tangible results have been produced,” and emphasised that the next round of discussions on the so-called “positive agenda” will take place in Athens on 2 and 3 December. All of this is aimed at the High Cooperation Council, scheduled for early 2025, when Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Tayyip Erdogan will meet once again
On Thursday, 7 November, the two leaders had a brief meeting with the President of Cyprus, Nicos Christodoulides, and the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, before the opening of the European Political Community meeting in Budapest.
“The Aegean is Not a Greek Lake”
In this context, and while discussions on Greek-Turkish relations have caused significant friction within the ruling party, former Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis addressed the negotiations (on Sky, 8 November), stating, among other things, that “you don’t arrive saying beforehand what I am willing to do and what I am not. I am going with my positions in full, particularly on the continental shelf.” She noted that she had been clear from the outset. “The interests in the Aegean are global interests. They are of interest to the Russians, to global navigation.
Asked to comment on former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras’ criticism of Mitsotakis Cabinet on Greek-Turkish relations, Bakoyannis responded: “Let Samaras call Gerapetritis to calm him down on Greek-Turkish issues so he can sleep peacefully.”
This was essentially a response to Samaras’ statements from Cyprus (16 October), where he opposed any “compromises” on the Cyprus and Aegean issues. On the “calm waters” policy, he had stated, “When they lead to tacit acceptance of fait accompli, they always bring huge storms.”
Red lines from Karamanlis as well
Apart from the politician from Messina, Kostas Karamanlis has also taken a position on the developments in Greek-Turkish relations, speaking last Monday (4/11) at a book presentation on Constantine Karamanlis, he said: “I want to underline that the concerns and worries expressed about our national issues are legitimate and real. They are, after all, generated by Turkey’s aggression and growing revisionism. Raising them in fact reinforces our long-standing national positions, especially when they are expressed by responsible voices”.
In the wake of these statements, the divisions in the “blue” camp are intensifying, while debates about the party’s ideological identity have been reignited following Donald Trump’s victory in the US. In the next period, the conflicts will come to a head, as the official debate on the Presidency of the Republic will begin in early 2025, while the next steps of the Greek-Turkish dialogue will be clarified, which will cause many reactions.
A thorn in Mitsotakis’ canonicality
Mr. Mitsotakis commented from Budapest on the meeting between Gerapetritis and Fidan, stressing that while progress has been made, basic differences remain: “Normalcy must be the goal in relations between neighbours. I have met with Erdogan officially and unofficially and we have exchanged a good conversation. This is befitting of neighbouring states. The statements of the two ministers confirm that there is a good climate on which we can build, but there is no common framework to discuss our major dispute with Turkey over EEZ and continental shelf.”
