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Greece and Turkey are expected to hold their Supreme Cooperation Council meeting between February 10 and 15, according to government sources, alongside a meeting between Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Preparations for the council are currently at the top of the government agenda, the sources said.
The climate, however, has been affected by Turkey’s issuance of two Navtex notices with a two-year duration, restating in full its claims in the Aegean Sea.
Ankara has revived positions on licensing jurisdiction for research in nearly half of the Aegean and on the demilitarization of 23 islands. The move underscored that Turkey continues to take a hard line and is not retreating from the issues it places on the table.
Under these conditions, there is little optimism for further convergence.
Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis said Greece insists that the only issue under discussion is the delimitation of the continental shelf and the exclusive economic zone.
Still, holding the council would confirm a period of calm, with cooperation advancing on low-politics issues. Agreements are expected in trade and transport.