The channels of communication between Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis (right) and his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan (left) did not work this time, and this has Athens worried.
Greek-Turkish relations have entered a phase marked by tension. Ankara seems greatly annoyed by Greece’s close strategic partnership with Israel, as well as by President Emmanuel Macron’s response to the question of what France would do in the event of a crisis in the Aegean. Athens, for its part, believes the Turkish government violated a fundamental rule underpinning the agreement for “calm waters”: not springing any surprises or unilateral actions on the other side.
The fact is that the Greek government heard of the legislation on maritime zones being drafted by Ankara from a foreign news wire and from Turkish media. The channels of communication between the respective foreign ministers, George Gerapetritis and Hakan Fidan, did not work in this instance, and this has troubled Athens deeply.
We obviously need to wait for the final draft of that legislation before reaching any conclusions. People who know the content of the draft that is currently on the table assure the Greek side that it does not contain maps or coordinates, adding that it is still in the consultation and processing stage. They are not ruling out changes before it goes to the Grand National Assembly.
