NATO-brokered talks between alliance members Greece, Turkey to recommence

Greek and Turkish military representatives will be meeting in Brussels for the third time on Tuesday within the context of efforts by NATO to broker talks for a deconflicting mechanism that would prevent an incident between the two alliance members over maritime and energy rights in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Tuesday’s meeting was arranged in the wake of the departure over the weekend of the Turkish seismic survey vessel Oruc Reis – and its navy escort – from the area south of Kastellorizo, which Athens had set as a condition for any talks to recommence.

Kathimerini understands that the Greek side will be coming to the table with new comments on NATO’s response to the first batch submitted by Athens over the blueprint presented for the talks. Initial reactions to the framework of dialogue had been submitted by representatives of both sides to Jens Stoltenberg 12 days ago, during a meeting that lasted just 5 minutes and in which the NATO chief refused to take a solid position, according to diplomatic sources.

The document that is under negotiation, sources said, is half a page long and calls for the two sides to recommit to fundamental NATO principles, and especially to Article 1 of the alliance’s charter, which concerns the peaceful resolution of differences between members, without the threat or use of force. It also calls for both sides to uphold the principles outlined by the International Civil Aviation Organization and the Law of the Sea.

One of the tools of the deconflicting mechanism mentioned in the document concerns a 24-hour direct line of communication between the Greek and Turkish militaries via a safe NATO channel.