Ekathimerini.com November 22, 2025
Concern is growing in Athens over what officials see as a shift in Ankara’s stance, which appears to be moving away from the “calm waters” that have characterized bilateral relations. According to Greek sources, discussions on the so-called “positive agenda” have been effectively frozen. The development follows a series of recent incidents that have added strain to Greek-Turkish ties, including an encounter between the Hellenic Coast Guard and fishing vessels accompanied by the Turkish Coast Guard in Greek territorial waters near Agathonisi.
Tensions rose again a few days later, on Friday, when Turkey’s Foreign Ministry reacted sharply to Greece’s update of its Maritime Spatial Planning on a European Commission online platform. The plan has been online since April, and its formal submission to the EU has not yet been completed. The update includes maps reflecting Greece’s exclusive economic zone agreements with Italy and a partial delimitation with Egypt, similar to what also appears on a UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission website. In that case, Turkish authorities have submitted their own maps reflecting expansive territorial claims. Ankara has also delayed routine bilateral contacts, including confidence building measures.
Athens attributes Ankara’s stance partly to Greece’s position linking Turkey’s participation in the SAFE regulatory framework to the lifting of the “casus belli.” While the issue is not considered substantial in practical terms – Turkey already maintains a corporate presence in several European countries – officials in Ankara are said to be irritated by Greek efforts in EU forums to press for adherence to minimal standards of good-neighborly conduct, including abandonment of the threat of war. European reaction to this argument remains cautious, particularly in Berlin, where officials point to the lack of major incidents since February 2023.
Further frustration in Ankara is also attributed to Greece’s growing role as a transit hub for US LNG into Eastern Europe.