Balkans | Greek media: Ankara and Athens informally agree to keep military exercises to a minimum

Greek media announced that Ankara and Athens had informally agreed to keep military exercises to a minimum, due to the elections on both sides of the Aegean Sea.

In the news published on the news website of the Kathimerini newspaper, he drew attention to the decrease in tension between the two countries before the elections after the earthquake in Turkey and the train accident in Greece.

With channels of communication between the two countries opened after tensions subsided, the two sides reportedly reached an informal agreement to keep military exercises in the Aegean Sea to a minimum.

According to the Greek newspaper, it was stated that the two countries will not conduct major naval exercises in the Aegean Sea, except for what was planned in accordance with the cooperation agreements between NATO and multinationals, until the elections in the two countries and their results are completed. it’s known.

In this context, the second phase of the Greek military exercise, whose first stop was completed in mid-February in the western Aegean Sea, will either be postponed to the end of summer or take place on a small scale, and it is scheduled to be held off the island of Crete.

Again in this context, the military forces of the United States and Israel, which want to contribute directly or indirectly to the easing of Greek-Turkish tensions, will not participate in the international air exercises this year.

This informal moratorium, which is expected to last throughout the summer, is expected to benefit both parties for various reasons.

The Greek Navy is under maintenance and the Turkish Navy is in the earthquake zone

This agreement will give Greece time to start the process of maintaining its navy, which has been on high alert for nearly three years since the crisis with the Turkish research vessel Oruç Reis.

Due to the tension in the Aegean Sea, 12 Navy ships were kept ready in the Aegean Sea, with the exception of Greece.

The recent order by the Chief of the General Staff of Greece, Konstantinos Floros, to reform the navy and make it ready for all circumstances is again seen as a new sign of tension.

According to Greek media, 80 percent of the ships belonging to the navy on the Turkish side remain ready for non-military services after the earthquake that struck the Gulfs of Iskenderun and Mersin.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced yesterday that the country’s general elections will be held in May.

An important meeting in Ankara today

Meanwhile, Deputy Foreign Minister, Ambassador Burak Aksabar, will hold a working meeting with his Greek counterpart, Konstantinos Fragkogianis, in Ankara today.

According to the information provided by the Ministry, Akcabar will meet with Fragkogiannis in Ankara within the scope of the Turkey-Greece Positive Agenda Dialogue in the field of economy and trade.

The meeting in question will be the fourth meeting of the Positive Agenda Initiative, which was agreed upon by Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias during their meeting in Ankara in 2021.

During the meeting, it is scheduled to review the progress made in the joint action plan for the development of bilateral trade, economy, energy, transportation, education, health, environment and human relations, and discuss new areas of cooperation that can be included in the process.

source: euronews