Greece braces for Turkish efforts to export domestic crisis
As Turkish officials hold talks with counterparts in Washington, Berlin and Brussels over possible new foreign funding, Greek policy is guided by the need to stay clear of Ankara’s domestic exigencies, Kathimerini understands.
Officials in Athens expect Turkey will be tempted to escalate bilateral tension in a bid to “export” political pressure from the country’s second downturn and currency crisis in as many years. Analysts meanwhile believe that negotiations with Berlin and Brussels are the reason behind the drop in migrant arrivals across the Aegean.
However, the coronavirus pandemic is an additional factor as migrants do not want to risk having to move into one of the overcrowded facilities on the Greek islands.
The virus also appears to have affected Turkey’s military operations. Four Turkish Navy frigates and an oil tanker have been stationed off Libya’s coast for about a month-and-a-half.
