The eastern Mediterranean crisis is the latest episode in a difficult relationship between Ankara and Athens. Here are some of the major disagreements between the two.
In Ankara, Turkey, on January 1, Turkish soldiers wait for Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis to arrive before a ceremony with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The soldiers are holding the national flags of both Greece and Turkey. 23, 2008.
The status of the islands in the Aegean Sea and the Cyprus dispute are just two of the major issues that divide Turkey and Greece, two countries that border each other not only on land but also on a disputed sea in the Aegean Sea.
Many of the historical contexts that underlie the conflicts between the two countries, from Byzantine times to World War I and the Turkish War of Independence, are Athens has attempted several times in the past to take Turkish territory from Ankara, and some extreme nationalists in Greece still maintain that
Greece was ruled by the Ottoman Empire for nearly four centuries beginning in the middle of the 16th century. At this time, Greek Orthodox Christians coexisted peacefully with Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, the predecessor state of modern-day Turkey.
Since the Greek Rebellion of 1821, when Greeks were urged to fight alongside the Ottomans in an attempt to weaken the empire by strong foreign powers like Britain, France, and Russia, relations between the Greeks and Turks have deteriorated. Greece became an independent state in 1832.
Greece acquired Crete, the fifth-largest island in the Mediterranean, in the late 1800s after a bloody rebellion against the Ottoman Empire. Athens also claimed most of the Aegean Sea islands from the Ottomans with the help of Western powers.
Greece began its most recent campaign in early 1919, after World War I, under the direction of Britain and other European powers, attacking the Ottoman Empire’s Anatolian heartland and seizing its western regions.
When the Greek-led Allied Powers seized Istanbul in November 1918, the Turkish War of Independence was officially declared.
During the Turkish War of Independence, the National Forces (Kuvayi Milliye in Turkish), led by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the nation’s founding father, drove Greek forces from the Anatolian peninsula.
At the end of the war, Greece and other major powers, including Britain, France, and Italy, signed the Treaty of Lausanne with Turkey’s newly formed capital, Ankara. This deal settled some of Turkey’s border disputes with Syria, governed by France, and Iraq, governed by Britain, as well as determining Turkey’s western borders with Athens.
Despite the peace treaty, a number of issues involving Turkey and Greece, such as the status of islands in the Aegean Sea and the Cyprus dispute, have not been sufficiently addressed, resulting in numerous political deadlocks between the two countries.
With the exception of two, Gokceada (Imbros) and Bozcaada (Tenodos), close to the strategically significant Turkish strait of the Dardanelles, where the Ottoman Empire fought the storied battle of Gallipoli during World War I, the treaty left Greece ownership of all other Aegean islands.
Tension between the two neighbors has recently arisen over Kastellorizo, an island in the eastern Mediterranean that is believed to be a part of the Dodecanese island system. This island was given to Athens as part of the treaty, even though it is only 2 kilometers from Turkey’s southern coast and nearly 600 kilometers from the Greek mainland.
Greece used the status of these islands as a pretext to expand its territorial waters, continental shelf, and other maritime rights in the Aegean and Mediterranean seas, claiming nearly all of the sea area along Turkey’s western and southern coasts as its own.
The dispute over maritime rights and the recently discovered gas reserves in the eastern Mediterranean have led to heightened tensions between Greece and Turkey.
Ankara strongly refutes Greek claims, saying that it would be utterly irrational and unfair for any country to accept such a sea border.
Last week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, “No one can confine Turkey to the shores of Antalya [a large province in southern Turkey], which has the longest coastline in the Mediterranean. ” .
He went on, “We are dedicated to defending the maritime rights of our citizens and the people of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).”
Cyprus, the third-largest Mediterranean island, is another point of contention between the two countries. The island is home to both Greek and Turkish populations.
After the Ottoman Empire ruled the island for more than 300 years, the Treaty of Lausanne gave the British government control over it.
As the Republic of Cyprus gained independence in 1960, Turkey, Greece, and Britain were named as guarantor states under the terms of the Zurich and London Agreements.
However, because Greece adopted the “Enosis” political doctrine, which sought to unite Cyprus with Greece, just as it had done with Crete, whose Turkish population had been driven out following Greek occupation in the late 1890s, disputes between the two ethnic groups could not be resolved under the Republic of Cyprus.
Regarding the Cyprus dispute, Greek students heckled and yelled outside the US Embassy in Athens, Greece, on March 3, 1964. Later the demonstrators burned an effigy of President Lyndon B. Johnson in front of the embassy. Sign in the background reads “Enosis” – union of Cyprus and Greece.
Enosis is similar to the “Megali Idea,” an irredentist theory that held that Greece should absorb all formerly ethnically Greek territories. It influenced Greek policy for nearly a century after the republic’s founding. Today, several Greek nationalists still cling onto these ideologies.
In July 1974, the Turkish government intervened in the northern part of the island to defend the Turkish population after a brief coup that aimed to unite the island with Greece.
Since then, disagreements between Western countries—most notably Greece—who oppose Turkish intervention and military presence on the island and Turkey, which adamantly defends its presence there to defend Turkish Cypriots against Greek aggression—have resulted in a standoff known as the Cyprus Issue.
Consequently, the island was divided into two political entities: the Greek Cypriots in the south and the Turkish Cypriots in the north, who led the TRNC in 1983 and were only acknowledged by Turkey. The Greek Cypriots, whom Turkey recognizes as the Greek Cypriot Administration (GCA), continue to assert their sovereignty over the entire island with the backing of a sizable portion of the international community.
The Aegean and Cyprus disputes have been a major factor in the recent tensions between Greece and Turkey in the eastern Mediterranean, where newly discovered rich gas reserves have accelerated exploration efforts and increased divisions between the two countries.
Citing the problematic status of the eastern Aegean islands near the eastern Mediterranean and the GCA, Greece asserts its claims to a substantial portion of the region’s territorial waters and other maritime rights, including the right to explore for gas.
Greece and Greek Cypriot efforts to explore for gas in the eastern Mediterranean have been met with opposition by Turkey, which is because of its national continental shelf rights in the region and its defense of Turkish Cypriot rights regarding their stakeholdership in all of the island’s natural resources.
First, Turkey asserts that the bulk of Greek Cypriot exploration efforts in the region are problematic and violate its rights to the Mediterranean coast’s continental shelf.
Second, Ankara views as inappropriate Greek Cypriot gas exploration efforts that are being conducted without consulting the Turkish government or Turkish Cypriots, who are the island’s “co-owners.” Ankara has long been the protector of Turkish Cypriots’ national and territorial rights against a Greek-dominated state apparatus.
Most recently, Turkey and its allies, who are Turkish Cypriots, began holding military drills in the region under the banner “Mediterranean Storm.”
The presence of Greeks in Turkey dates back to the 2nd millennium BC, making them one of the oldest and most deeply rooted communities in the region. Over the centuries, they have played a significant role in shaping the cultural, economic, and political landscape of Anatolia
This article delves into the rich history of the Greek community in Turkey, tracing their journey from the ancient era to the present day. It explores their contributions to society, the challenges they have faced, and their current status as a dwindling minority.
A Journey Through Time: The Greek Presence in Turkey
Ancient Roots: The story of Greeks in Turkey begins in the Bronze Age, when Ionian and Aeolian Greeks settled along the Aegean coast, establishing flourishing cities like Ephesus and Smyrna. These settlements became centers of trade and culture, contributing significantly to the development of the region.
Byzantine Era: Following the Roman conquest, the eastern half of the Roman Empire evolved into the Byzantine Empire, with Constantinople (present-day Istanbul) as its capital. This period witnessed a further flourishing of Greek culture and language as the Byzantines became the guardians of Hellenistic heritage.
Ottoman Rule: The arrival of the Ottoman Turks in the 11th century marked a turning point in the history of the region While the Ottomans allowed the Greek community to maintain a degree of autonomy, they also implemented policies that gradually marginalized them. Nonetheless, Greeks continued to thrive in various fields, including commerce, education, and the arts.
20th Century Unrest: The Greek community in Turkey faced many difficulties in the 20th century. Many Greeks were persecuted and forced to flee their homes as a result of the turbulent events of World War I and the Greco-Turkish War that followed. The Greek population in Turkey was significantly reduced as a result of the forced relocation of millions of people during the 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey.
Post-Exchange Era: Despite the challenges, the Greek community in Turkey has persevered. These days, the majority of them live in Istanbul, with smaller populations on the islands of Tenedos and Imbros. Even though their numbers have greatly decreased, they still make a significant contribution to Turkish society and the preservation of their cultural heritage.
Challenges and Resilience: The Greek Community Today
Throughout its history, the Greek community in Turkey has encountered many difficulties, such as prejudice, persecution, and forced migration. Nonetheless, they have proven to be incredibly resilient, adjusting to shifting conditions while maintaining their distinct identity.
Current Status: Today, the Greek community in Turkey numbers around 2,000 people, a stark contrast to their historical prominence. They face ongoing challenges related to education, property rights, and cultural preservation.
Education: The Greek community has historically placed a strong emphasis on education. However, recent restrictions on access to Greek-language education pose a threat to the language and culture’s preservation.
Property Rights: The issue of property rights remains a contentious one for the Greek community. Many properties belonging to Greek institutions and individuals were confiscated by the Turkish government in the past, and efforts to reclaim them have been met with limited success.
Cultural Preservation: The Greek community in Turkey is dedicated to maintaining its cultural legacy in spite of the difficulties. They continue to run churches, schools, and cultural institutions that are vital hubs for a community’s identity and way of life.
The Greek community in Turkey has a story of adaptability, resiliency, and the enduring value of cultural heritage. They have persevered in the face of many obstacles, making a lasting impression on the history and culture of the area. The Greek community is still essential in promoting communication, mutual understanding, and cross-cultural exchanges between Greece and Turkey, even as they negotiate the challenges of the twenty-first century.
Real Reason Turkey is Threatening Greece with War
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Dimitris Papamitsos/Greek Prime Minister’s Office/Handout via REUTERS Purchase Licensing Rights ATHENS, July 12 (Reuters) – Greece and Turkey agreed on Wednesday to resume talks and confidence-building measures as they hailed a new “positive climate” in ties after more than a year of tensions between the historic foes.
Are Greece & Turkey rethinking their relations?
ATHENS, Dec 7 (Reuters) – Greece and Turkey on Thursday agreed to reboot their relations, establishing a roadmap designed to usher in a new era of closer ties between the two NATO allies but historical foes.
Are Greece and Turkey a good neighbor?
Greece and Turkey have signed a joint declaration today to pursue good neighbourly relations. The move comes during a much-watched visit of the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, to Athens. “Geography and history has dictated that we live in the same neighbourhood.. occasionally in confrontation.
Is Turkey threatening a war against Greece?
Erdogan allowed asylum seekers to storm Greek borders in 2020 and disputed Greece’s sovereignty over its east Aegean Islands in 2021. And Turkey has a standing threat of war against Greece if it should attempt to extend its territorial waters in the Aegean to 12 nautical miles, which Greece says is consistent with international law.