Turkish and Greek military delegations are expected to resume technical talks next week at NATO's headquarters in Brussels, security sources said Friday.
After a phone call between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg back in September 2020, it was decided that technical meetings would be held between the military delegations of Turkey and Greece.
On Oct. 2, 2020, following meetings at NATO's headquarters, the Turkish Defense Ministry announced that the two sides had agreed on the "basic principles."
NATO said at the time that a military mechanism to avoid conflicts over Eastern Mediterranean disputes between Greece and Turkey had been established.
The mechanism is designed to reduce the risk of incidents and accidents in the Eastern Mediterranean and includes the creation of a hotline between Greece and Turkey to facilitate communication regarding activity at sea or in the air, according to NATO.
Turkey, the country with the longest coastline on the Eastern Mediterranean, has sent drillships with a military escort to explore for energy on its continental shelf, saying that Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) also have rights in the region.
To reduce tensions, Turkey has called for dialogue to ensure the fair sharing of the region's resources.
