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61st time lucky? Turkey & Greece will hold "exploratory talks" in İstanbul today after last year's tensions over the East Med. We're not expecting anything concrete (remember this word as it keeps coming up). But any easing of strains helps EU-Turkey ties. https://news.yahoo.com/greece-turkey-face-first-crisis-021522392.html
The last talks were held in 2016 after they began in 2002. Turkish Pres. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also wants an international conference to address the East Med issue. There appears to have been little movement on this, although it still gets mentioned. https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/opinion/serkan-demirtas/med-conference-may-change-the-climate-in-cyprus-and-in-the-region-161766
Tensions with 
& 
as well as 
reached a peak last year after Turkey sent the Oruç Reis research vessel to disputed waters in August and renewed its mission several times. Last month, Brussels agreed to draw up a list of Turkish targets for sanctions. https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20201211-turkey-rejects-eu-sanctions-plan-as-erdogan-seeks-calm
& as well as reached a peak last year after Turkey sent the Oruç Reis research vessel to disputed waters in August and renewed its mission several times. Last month, Brussels agreed to draw up a list of Turkish targets for sanctions. https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20201211-turkey-rejects-eu-sanctions-plan-as-erdogan-seeks-calm
One of the buzzwords last year was "Mavi Vatan" (Blue Homeland), referring to a doctrine driving Turkey's push in the East Med. More on the context:
https://news.yahoo.com/turkeys-bid-become-maritime-powerhouse-012543497.html
AFP interview with retired admiral Cem Gürdeniz, hailed as the doctrine's author:
https://www.france24.com/en/20200823-turkey-s-maritime-doctrine-author-has-dire-warning-for-france
https://news.yahoo.com/turkeys-bid-become-maritime-powerhouse-012543497.html
AFP interview with retired admiral Cem Gürdeniz, hailed as the doctrine's author:
https://www.france24.com/en/20200823-turkey-s-maritime-doctrine-author-has-dire-warning-for-france
To dive deeper into the East Med issue, I recommend reading:
What Erdogan Really Wants in the Eastern Mediterranean
https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/01/19/turkey-greece-what-erdogan-wants-eastern-mediterranean-sovereignty-natural-gas/
Whose Sea? Untangling the Eastern Mediterranean Great Game
https://www.institutmontaigne.org/en/blog/whose-sea-untangling-eastern-mediterranean-great-game
Value Beyond Price
https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Value-Beyond-Price.pdf
What Erdogan Really Wants in the Eastern Mediterranean
https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/01/19/turkey-greece-what-erdogan-wants-eastern-mediterranean-sovereignty-natural-gas/
Whose Sea? Untangling the Eastern Mediterranean Great Game
https://www.institutmontaigne.org/en/blog/whose-sea-untangling-eastern-mediterranean-great-game
Value Beyond Price
https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Value-Beyond-Price.pdf
Another good read via @ecfr, Deep sea rivals: Europe, Turkey, and new eastern Mediterranean conflict lines
https://ecfr.eu/special/eastern_med/
It mentions the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum established in Jan. 2019, by Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan & Palestine. No Turkey.
https://ecfr.eu/special/eastern_med/
It mentions the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum established in Jan. 2019, by Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan & Palestine. No Turkey.
This is a great thread by @yeacikgonul about the talks, and what will (or rather, won't) happen.
https://twitter.com/yeacikgonul/status/1353513418112839685
And it includes this point about what Ankara and Athens hope to gain from this moment https://twitter.com/yeacikgonul/status/1353514126828564480
https://twitter.com/yeacikgonul/status/1353513418112839685
And it includes this point about what Ankara and Athens hope to gain from this moment https://twitter.com/yeacikgonul/status/1353514126828564480
