The structure is shallow, but serviceable | The Daily

The new Greek-Turkish approach, launched at the highest political level by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Athens in December, does not want to address or overcome problems accumulated in half a century of relations. Two neighboring states. It was in a sense a sui generis process, aimed at both sides seeking co-benefits after a long and dangerous military conflict in the Aegean.

Ankara accepted US President Biden’s decision to deliver new F-16s and modernize the same type of fighters of the old generation. Athens was temporarily freed from pressure in the Aegean and had the opportunity to deal with its home as it saw fit due to the severe restriction of immigration from Turkey.

Neither side moved from their fixed positions. A month ago, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced the creation of an “ecological” park in the Aegean from Milos west to Nisyros, consisting of eleven clusters of uninhabited islands and rocky islets. As expected, Ankara, which has supported the existence of “grey zones” in the Aegean for decades, reacted. Athens did not back down and Defense Minister Nicos Dentias announced the creation of a defense dome in Greece to stop the threat from the east.

Last Monday, Mr. Erdoğan inaugurated the operation of Sora Monastery as an Islamic mosque. The Byzantine church of Agios Sotiros in Sora was converted into a mosque in 1511 under Sultan Bayezid II and a museum in 1948 under Mustafa Kemal. In 2020, by Presidential Decree, Mr. Erdogan announced that it would be reopened as a mosque.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis described the development as “totally unnecessary” after a meeting with the president yesterday, and Mr. He promised to raise the issue with Erdogan. He will actually do it to get the expected response from the Turkish president and everything will go smoothly. Because the context of reconciliation talks may be shallow, but it is beneficial for both parties.