Turkey, Greece To Resume Exploratory Talks On Situation In East Med On Monday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th January, 2021) Turkey and Greece are set to resume previously suspended exploratory talks on the territorial claims and maritime borders in the Eastern Mediterranean on Monday, January 25.

According to the Turkish Foreign Ministry, this will be the 61st round of such negotiations between Ankara and Athens, and it will take place in Istanbul.

This will be the first such meeting after almost five years since the last round was held in March 2016.

Since the discovery of significant gas reserves in the region a decade ago, Greece and Turkey have been engaged in renewed disputes over maritime borders.

The deepening rift between the two countries has widened with Turkey's decision to enhance energy exploration activities in the Eastern Mediterranean and the deal Ankara made with Libya's official government.

Although Turkey and Greece had agreed on the general principles of NATO-led deconfliction talks in October 2020, no further negotiations were held.