Greek PM Mitsotakis announces plans to visit Ankara on May 13

Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis plans to visit President Erdogan in Ankara on May 13 amid tensions over Greece’s planned marine parks in Aegean and Ionian seas

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced plans to visit Ankara on May 13 to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Following a special European Council meeting in Brussels, Mitsotakis addressed Greece’s formation of “marine parks” in the Aegean and Ionian seas, a move denounced by Türkiye.

Dispute over marine parks

Asserting Greece’s exercise of sovereign rights in the Aegean based on international law and maritime regulations, Mitsotakis expressed surprise at Türkiye’s negative reaction.

He emphasized that the positive trajectory of Greek-Turkish relations doesn’t imply a shift in Türkiye’s stance on exclusive economic zones (EEZs), which remain contentious.

Türkiye raised concerns about Greece’s plan for marine parks in the Aegean Sea, urging them to separate environmental issues from ongoing territorial disputes.

Mitsotakis welcomed the European Council’s decisions on Türkiye, acknowledging the impact of developments in Cyprus on European Union-Türkiye relations.

Türkiye, however, criticized the EU’s approach to Türkiye, citing a lack of strategic vision and dissatisfaction with the renewed emphasis on divided Cyprus in the European Council’s conclusions.

Source: Newsroom

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