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Greece, Turkey open first crisis talk since 2016

IT could lay groundwork for eventual delineation of gas reserves

25 January, 10:32
(ANSA-AFP) - ISTANBUL, JAN 25 - Greece and Turkey bowed to EU and NATO pressure on Monday and opened the first direct talks in nearly five years over their explosive eastern Mediterranean standoff. The Istanbul meeting is not expected to make major headway after the two NATO neighbours' gunboats collided in August as their dispute over energy and borders threatened to spiral out of control. But it adds to the positive tone Turkish President Recep Erdogan has been setting as he tries to repair damaged relations with Europe in the face of a potentially more hostile US administration under President Joe Biden. And it could lay the groundwork for the eventual delineation of one of the world's most recently discovered regions of proven natural gas reserves. Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said over the weekend that Athens was entering the so-called exploratory talks "in good faith" -- a comment echoed by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. (ANSA-AFP).

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