Greece and Turkey: Moving Beyond The Rapprochement Process
The visit by the Greek Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, to Ankara and Istanbul on 5-6 February was remarkable for a number of reasons. There was no spectacular breakthrough announced; in fact, a recognition of the status quo was the best that could be expected. Yet, the visit was important because it reflects both the complexities of the bilateral relationship between Greece and Turkey as well as a recognition that its content is shaped by a number of factors that are not necessarily of a bilateral nature. Let us put everything into context. We find ourselves in the midst of the 20 th year of the rapprochement process between the two countries. This is a process that began after a period of heightened animosity and tensions in September 1999 on the sidelines of the annual United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York when George Papandreou and Ismail Cem, the respective foreign ministers of Greece and Turkey at the time, decided to stress strengthened economi...