Book dossier

Turkish-Greek Relations

by Mustafa Aydin

The Greek-Turkish dispute has been a major source of instability in the Eastern Mediterranean and a major concern for Greece and Turkey's NATO allies. Over the last four decades the potential for a major clash between the two countries has been important for the regional security equation, albeit overshadowed by Cold War dynamics. The discord has grown deeper and wider over time, over a series of seemingly vital issues, which have at times brought the two countries to the brink of war. Yet in 1999 the two countries opened a dialogue on non-sensitive issues such as trade, the environment and tourism. This process was given impetus by unfortunate events: the earthquake in Turkey in August 1999, and the one in Athens in September provoked an outburst of popular sympathy in both countries. This was followed by Greece's support for Turkey's EU candidacy at the Helsinki summit in December 1999, and a visit to Ankara by Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs in January 2000.The causes of the current rapprochement progress are explored in this book in relation both to the international environment which is increasingly conducive to this progress, and the significant domestic changes that both Greece and Turkey have experienced since the end of the Cold War. This book confronts each of these important dimensions by addressing issues of continuity and change in Greek-Turkish relations.