AN OVERVIEW OF GREEK-TURKISH RELATIONS IN THE 20TH CENTURY (original) (raw)
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Turkish-Greek Relations: 1999-2000
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This paper intends to elaborate on the substantial shift in the pattern of Turkish-Greek relations between 1999 and 2010 and the future prospects for the course of bilateral relations. It is my contention that the European Union membership conditionality and the civil diplomacy triggered by the unexpected earthquakes in both countries in 1999 have been the principal factors in inducing the positive shift in the bilateral relations between 1999 and 2010. Previously, Turkish-Greek relations followed a chequered path, determined largely by their territorial disputes, which brought the two states at times almost at the brink of war. Cyprus has played the major factor plaguing bilateral relations post 1955 along with those pertaining to the Aegean Sea post 1980s. The state of Greek Orthodox and Muslim Turkish minorities has also provoked frictions, though at a relatively less important level. Prior to 1999, ethno-nationalism played a determining role in bilateral relations. This was afterwards replaced by a more instrumentalist, pragmatist and democratic approach owing to the EU factor as well as civil diplomacy.
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This chapter examines the development of Greek-Turkish relations under the influence of the European Union and the limits of the rapprochement between the two countries. The European Union has been the catalyst for the pacification of the relations of several European states whose competition had led them to recurrent conflict. The 1999 lifting of the Greek veto on the improvement of EU-Turkey relations triggered an improvement in bilateral relations which has remained unprecedented since the 1950s. Bilateral relations underwent a paradigmatic shift which allowed for zero-sum game-based approaches to be challenged. Economic and civil society ties grew stronger; minority problems were mitigated while long-standing bilateral diplomatic disputes remained unresolved and far from international adjudication. Turkey's faltering EU membership ambitions weakened a crucial catalyst of Greek-Turkish rapprochement, yet there was no relapse to the pre-1999 problematic relations. Turkey's possible drifting away from Western institutions poses another strategic challenge on the Greek government. Despite the severe economic and social crises that hit Greece and Turkey in the last decade, Greek-Turkish relations have not been derailed. In both countries, bilateral disputes and the Cyprus issue have declined in importance compared to other foreign policy issues. This allowed both sides to focus on urgent questions, but removed a strong incentive to take risks for conflict resolution. The costs of postponing a bitter compromise appear low, and this provides a strong incentive to political leaders to refrain from necessary political risks. This poses substantial risks for the future and sets a limit to the development of even closer economic and social relations. The inability to resolve outstanding problems through unpleasant but necessary compromise can be juxtaposed with the chronic inability of Greek governments to reach unpopular but necessary solutions in a number of crucial domestic political issues. Institution-building and leadership are sine qua non for the overcoming of the seemingly intractable Greek-Turkish disputes.
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In the political life and also in the academic circles the Greco-Turkish relations are generally perceived as problematic. However, as this study shows this is not completely true. Some primary sources show that Greco-Turkish relations have seen ups and downs. Publicly or secretly, time to time these two countries have developed friendly relations, even as a surprise to the international circles. The aim of this paper is to examine the background and the reasons of the changes in the relations between Turkey and Greece.
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The causes of the current Greek-Turkish rapprochement progress are explored in this book in relation both to the international environment, which is increasingly conducive to this progress, and significant domestic changes. ... The causes of the current Greek-Turkish rapprochement progress are explored in this book in relation both to the international environment, which is increasingly conducive to this progress, and significant domestic changes.
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Greek-Turkish relations have been one of the most sensitive spots of NATO's internal cohesion throughout the second half of the twentieth century. The emergence of the Cyprus problem threatened to undermine NATO's southeastern flank and had a negative spillover effect on Greek-Turkish bilateral disputes. Following almost twenty years of rapprochement and détente, Greek-Turkish relations entered a turbulent phase in late 2019. This article sheds light on some key factors that contributed to the escalation since 2019, such as energy developments in the Eastern Mediterranean, migration, Turkey's growing regional ambitions, sovereignty claims and declining relations with the United States and the European Union. It also evaluates the reasons for the recent détente as well as its sustainability in the aftermath of the May 2023 elections in both Greece and Turkey.