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1111. German FM calls for ‘direct discussions’ between Greece and Turkey

“The windows for dialogue between Greece and Turkey must now be opened further and not closed,” German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in an emailed statement before meeting Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his counterpart, Nikos Dendias, in Athens on Tuesday....

1112. NAVTEX wars continue in east Med

Athens has issued an advisory to mariners concerning Greek air and naval forces conducting exercises in an area that overlaps with the one reserved by Ankara in a similar advisory issued on Sunday...

1113. Mitsotakis spells out message to Turkey

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called on Turkey to “stop the provocations” in the Eastern Mediterranean and return to the negotiating table in order to resolve disagreements regarding the delimitation of maritime zones...

1114. After collision, Athens plans next steps

Greek Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos on Tuesday congratulated the captain of the Greek frigate Limnos that accidentally collided with a Turkish ship during a standoff in the Eastern Mediterranean last week and indicated that Greece is prepared to hold talks with Turkey on the condition that it withdraws its warships and seismic research vessels from the area of the Greek continental shelf...

1115. Cyprus open to defining maritime zones

Cyprus said on Tuesday it was willing to engage with all its neighbours on defining maritime boundaries, amid a tense stand-off with Turkey in the eastern Mediterranean over jurisdiction in the energy-rich waters...

1116. Nicosia, Athens set tone for Turkey response

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said on Tuesday that the Cyprus problem remained at the top of his country’s agenda during a visit on the island, with his Cypriot counterpart calling on the European Union to use a carrot-and-stick approach towards Turkey...

1117. New measures as clusters appear to be growing

Another dozen of new cases of the coronavirus included secondary contacts such as a person who got infected at a party earlier this month, with government agencies coordinating further measures by week’s end...

1118. Greek FM makes impromptu visit to Cyprus

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias is on a surprise one-day trip to the Republic of Cyprus on Tuesday for talks with his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides...

1119. Borrell doubles down on Turkey criticism

EU High Representative on Foreign Policy Josep Borrell scorned Turkey over the weekend, calling on Ankara to end drilling activities off the island of Cyprus and engage in a broad dialogue with the European Union...

1120. Expert raises Covid-19 alarm for this week

One coronavirus case has been detected at a kindergarten in Nicosia, while there were 21 cases over the weekend in the Republic of Cyprus, with health experts remaining concerned over asymptomatic carriers and protocol violators...

1121. Rival warnings keep on in the Mediterranean

Rival warnings continued to be issued over waters in the eastern Mediterranean this weekend, after EU ministers reaffirmed the bloc’s solidarity with Greece and the Republic of Cyprus and Turkey saying it would not “bow to banditry”...

1122. Ankara responds to Greek warnings

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan says an attack on Oruc Reis in the eastern Mediterranean would incur a “high price” while at the same time calling for a win-win solution through dialogue...

1123. Navigating under pressure

The latest crisis in relations between Athens and Ankara is different from previous ones. It is broader in scope, it has a hegemonic dimension, and it is permeated by an imperial rather than – as in the past – nationalist attitude....

1124. Athens warns of possible 'accident' in East Med

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday warned about the possibility of an "accident" in the Eastern Mediterranean where Greek and Turkish naval forces have gathered after Ankara decided to sent a vessel to conduct seismic research south of Kastellorizo...

1125. Dendias to meet Pompeo in Vienna

Athens says it will not accept a fait accompli in the Eastern Mediterranean, with reports saying Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias is set to meet US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Vien on Friday....

1126. Cyprus announces one coronavirus death, 25 new cases

The Cyprus Health Ministry on Tuesday announced 25 new coronavirus cases and one death, involving a 77-year-old who suffered from underlying health conditions but who ultimately died as a result of his coronavirus infection....

1127. Turkey says Greece making a ‘big fuss’

Ankara has accused Athens of having “no legal basis” for raising objections over Turkish exploration in the eastern Mediterranean, as Greek armed forces were placed on high alert Monday after Turkey sent a seismic survey vessel in contested waters...

1128. Turkish seismic research vessel within Cyprus EEZ

The Turkish seismic research vessel Oruc Reis was spotted on Monday off the Western coast of Cyprus and in the area delineated by Turkey’s fresh Navtex....

1129. Regional tensions flare up anew as Turkey issues new Navtex

1130. At least seven die in massive flood on Evia

At least seven people died and one person was still missing after a storm hit the Greek island of Evia early Sunday, causing massive floods and blocking exit roads...

1131. Ankara slams Greece-Egypt maritime deal

Ankara was caught off guard Thursday when a secret partial maritime agreement emerged between Athens and Cairo, with the Turkish foreign ministry calling the deal 'null and void'...

1132. Six of 13 new Cyprus coronavirus cases asymptomatic

The Cyprus health ministry announced 13 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, four of which were asymptomatic carriers detected at airports....

1133. Greek PM tweaks cabinet to increase efficiency on economy, labor and environment

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has introduced changes to the makeup of his cabinet aimed at increasing its “operational efficiency,” government spokesman Stelios Petsas said on Tuesday....

1134. Two out of five new cases randomly detected in Limassol

The Cyprus health ministry announced five new coronavirus cases on Monday, two of which were randomly detected in Limassol, where recent days have seen a concerning development of several active chains of infection....

1135. Greek tourism minister does 'not understand’ travel downgrade by Cyprus

The Greek Tourism Minister Haris Theoharis said he does not understand why Cyprus decided to downgrade Greece in its three-tier risk system grouping countries based on their epidemiological data, adding that he hopes the issue will be clarified between the two countries soon....

1136. Greek-Turkish exploratory contacts with a deadline

In the wake of last month’s dangerous escalation of tension between Greece and Turkey, the two countries have laid the groundwork for exploratory contacts on the terms and conditions of a possible resumption of a dialogue, with Berlin having played a pivotal role in the rapprochement. ...

1137. Cyprus downgrades Greece amid virus fears

Cyprus will introduce mandatory testing for all arrivals from Greece starting August 6, after many cases were detected during random tests from passengers returning from Greece in the last few days....

1138. Greek FM says Athens got Nicosia’s back

Nicosia and Athens are seeking ways to further oppose Turkey’s moves in the eastern Mediterranean, after Ankara signaled it was ready for dialogue but also sent a seismic research vessel in Cypriot waters...

1139. Athens open to talks but not so fast

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias has welcomed a recent move from Turkey towards de-escalation in the region, saying Athens was open to dialogue but not on all things...

1140. Dendias issues stern message to Ankara

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias on Monday sent a stern message to Ankara, saying that Greece “will not accept any fait accompli” at the expense of the country’s territorial integrity and sovereign rights...