Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • Politics
  • Diplomacy
  • Legislation
  • War On Terror
  • EU Affairs
  • Elections
  • News Analysis

Deconfliction mechanism between Turkey, Greece to 'create space' for diplomacy: NATO chief

by Daily Sabah with Reuters

ISTANBUL Oct 06, 2020 - 1:33 pm GMT+3
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (L) welcomes NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg (R) before their meeting at the Maximos Mansion in Athens, Greece, Oct. 6, 2020. (AFP Photo)
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (L) welcomes NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg (R) before their meeting at the Maximos Mansion in Athens, Greece, Oct. 6, 2020. (AFP Photo)
by Daily Sabah with Reuters Oct 06, 2020 1:33 pm
RECOMMENDED
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg speaks to journalists as he arrives for a Foreign Affairs Council at the EU headquarters in Brussels, May 23, 2023. (AFP Photo)

NATO chief 'completely confident' Sweden will join bloc

türkiye-nato-relations

The military deconfliction mechanism established between Turkey and Greece will help "create space" for diplomatic efforts over the maritime disputes in the Eastern Mediterranean, the head of NATO said Tuesday.

"It is my firm hope that the underlying disputes between two allies can now be addressed purely through negotiations in the spirit of allied solidarity and international law," NATO General-Secretary Jens Stoltenberg said after talks in Athens with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Last week, NATO said that a military deconfliction mechanism for the neighbors' Eastern Mediterranean disputes had been established following a series of technical meetings between the military delegations of Greece and Turkey at NATO's headquarters in Brussels.

The mechanism is designed to reduce the risk of incidents and accidents in the Eastern Mediterranean and includes the creation of a hotline between Athens and Ankara to facilitate resolving conflict at sea or in the air, it added.

The Turkish and Greek military delegations have agreed on “general principles” in NATO talks, Turkey’s Defense Ministry said following NATO's announcement of the deconfliction mechanism. Both nations' militaries have held a series of NATO-hosted technical talks, which began on Sept. 10.

Greece welcomes moves by Turkey to de-escalate recent tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, Mitsotakis also said.

Before his visit to Greece, Stoltenberg was in Turkey on Monday and met with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Presidential Complex in the capital Ankara.

Erdoğan and Stoltenberg gathered behind closed doors and discussed a range of issues for about an hour, amid continued efforts to resolve differences between Turkey and Greece over the Eastern Mediterranean.

According to Turkey's Communications Directorate, Erdoğan and Stoltenberg discussed bilateral relations between Turkey and NATO, and regional issues including the Eastern Mediterranean, Syria and Libya.

During the meeting, Erdoğan said that Turkey has always supported the NATO initiative to reduce the risk of incidents and accidents in the Eastern Mediterranean between Turkish and Greek military units despite Athens' negative behavior.

Erdoğan also said that Turkey struggled alone against the migration crisis in order to provide security and stability in the region and Europe. He added that Turkey has also become the only NATO member that has put forth sincere efforts to reestablish order in Libya.

Stating that Turkey takes the rights and interests of both itself and its allies into the consideration, Erdoğan said Ankara expects the same from its NATO allies.

Erdoğan noted that many international organizations' past decisions have called on Armenia to immediately, completely and unconditionally leave the Azerbaijani territories it occupies.

The president also said that some NATO allies' partnership with the YPG/PKK terrorist group and hesitation to extradite members of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) seriously damage the solidarity of the alliance.

Following the meeting, Stoltenberg said on Twitter: "Good meeting with President @RTErdogan in Ankara today on a range of security issues. We discussed the military de-confliction mechanism developed @NATO for the #EastMed."

He said he hoped the deconfliction mechanism recently established between Ankara and Athens at NATO-hosted meetings could create space for diplomatic efforts.

Also present at the meeting were Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and Ambassador to NATO Basat Öztürk.

Stoltenberg's visit to Turkey came following increasing tensions between Turkey and Greece due to maritime disputes over the Eastern Mediterranean.

Tensions have been running high for weeks in the Eastern Mediterranean, as Greece has disputed Turkey's energy exploration efforts. Turkey sent out drillships to explore for energy on its continental shelf, asserting its own rights in the region.

RECOMMENDED
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg speaks to journalists as he arrives for a Foreign Affairs Council at the EU headquarters in Brussels, May 23, 2023. (AFP Photo)

NATO chief 'completely confident' Sweden will join bloc

türkiye-nato-relations
  • shortlink copied
  • Last Update: Oct 06, 2020 2:35 pm
    RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    eastern mediterranean turkey greece nato
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    Mayan pyramid and ruins in the famous Tikal National Park, Guatemala. (Getty Images Photo)

    Scientists discover 417 Mayan cities in Guatemala's forested area

    mayan-city
    Voters cast ballots at a polling station set up by the Rotterdam Consulate-General in the Hague, May 20, 2023. (AA Photo)

    Far-right Wilders tells Turks to 'pack bags' for voting for Erdoğan

    geert-wilders

    Erdoğan, el-Sissi agree to reappoint Turkish, Egyptian envoys

    TÜRKIYE-EGYPT-RELATIONS

    Erdoğan meets with former economy chief Mehmet Şimşek: Sources

    Turkish-economy
    No Image
    Fall vibes in 'Cappadocia' of Turkey's Konya
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021