Greece is preparing a range of responses to growing escalation by Turkey following Ankara’s designation of two maritime parks in the northeastern Aegean and near Kastellorizo, as well as the revival of the long-disputed theory of “gray zones” in the Aegean.
Greek officials say Athens is closely monitoring recent Turkish actions, which they believe mark the end of a period of relative calm in bilateral relations. However, the government also argues that a clearer picture of Turkey’s strategy will emerge in the coming weeks through two key developments.
The first concerns the publication of any terms, restrictions or prohibitions that Turkey may impose on activities such as fishing, navigation and research within the maritime parks it has designated. The second is how Ankara responds to the planned resumption of surveys related to the Greece-Cyprus electricity interconnection project.
Athens has already begun implementing some measures. High-level bilateral contacts are effectively being frozen, according to officials. A meeting between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York next month is now considered highly unlikely. The same assessment applies to a possible meeting between the countries’ foreign ministers.
