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391. Athens sees Ankara games ahead of summit

Not only did Turkey continue to ignore Athens’ proposals for the next round of exploratory contacts between the two countries on Monday, its Defense Ministry once again revisited the issue of demilitarization of the Greek islands of the eastern Aegean, going as far as denouncing the presence of Greek warships at Kastellorizo....

392. Erdogan wishes to improve testy relations with US

Turkey’s president says mutual interests with the United States outweigh their differences and has called for more cooperation with President Joe Biden’s new US administration....

393. Oktay: Forget any bargaining over Varosha

394. Erdogan says only solution on Cyprus is two states

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that the only way to resolve decades of dispute over Cyprus was to establish two states on the island, and a federation favored by Athens would not be on the agenda of upcoming talks....

395. From Bismarck to Merkel

'Turks and Germans loved each other for a long time,' Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during a visit to Berlin in 2018. He was citing the historic words of Germany’s first chancellor, Otto von Bismarck, which still seem to determine Berlin’s policy on Ankara. We should recognize this reality as we enter a new geopolitical era, without succumbing to sentimentalism and spasmodic reactions....

396. Cyprus supporter to lead US foreign committee

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades says he looks forward to working with US Senator Bob Menendez, after the NJ Democrat was named officially chairman of the foreign relations committee in the new Congress...

397. US says Turkish coup claims 'wholly false'

The US State Department said on Thursday assertions by Turkish officials that the United States was involved in a failed 2016 coup in Turkey were 'wholly false'...

398. Turkish minister says US behind 2016 failed coup attempt

Turkey's interior minister accused the United States on Thursday of being behind a 2016 failed coup that Ankara has blamed on a US-based Muslim preacher, the Hurriyet daily reported, at a time when Turkey is seeking improved ties with its NATO ally....

399. Greece and Turkey resume exploratory talks

Exploratory contacts between Greece and Turkey are set to resume in Istanbul, with Ankara trying to gain an upper hand over the agenda and Athens appearing to have low expectations citing disagreement on both sides on what to discuss...

400. Greek MPs approve extension of Ionian Sea territorial waters

With 284 votes in favor and 16 “present,” lawmakers approved legislation on Wednesday to extend Greece’s territorial waters along its western coastline from six to 12 nautical miles....

401. Turkey and Greece to resume talks

Turkey and Greece will resume talks aimed at reducing tensions between the neighbors on Jan. 25, Turkish and Greek officials announced Monday, following this summer’s dispute over maritime borders and energy rights in the eastern Mediterranean...

402. Ankara wants Lausanne Treaty change

Reiterating a call frequently made by Turkish leaders, Turkey’s Energy Minister Fatih Donmez raised the issue of renegotiating the Lausanne Treaty of 1923, which set out the modern borders between Greece and Turkey....

403. Turkey hopes to turn new page with US, EU in 2021, Erdogan says

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Turkey hopes to “turn a new page in its ties with the United States and European Union, and that Ankara had been subjected to “double standards” by both its NATO ally Washington and the bloc....

404. Turkey’s defence industry to go it alone

US Senator Robert Menendez says he is not worried about retaliation from Turkey after Washington imposed sanctions on Ankara, with officials in Turkey warning further development of their domestic defence industry could speed up as a result...

405. Cyprus President 'absolutely satisfied' with EC Conclusions

President Nicos Anastasiades expressed absolute satisfaction with the Conclusions of the European Council regarding Turkey’s activities in the Eastern Mediterranean....

406. EU leaders pull Turkey punch at last minute

European Union leaders agreed on Thursday to prepare limited sanctions on Turkish individuals over an energy exploration dispute with Greece and Cyprus, postponing any harsher steps until March as countries sparred over how to handle Ankara...

407. EU leaders weigh sanctions over Turkey’s Med drilling

Concerned that their credibility is at stake, European Union leaders are set Thursday to give the green light to the expansion of sanctions against Turkey over its exploration of gas reserves in Mediterranean waters claimed by EU members Greece and Cyprus....

408. Cyprus calls on Turkey to engage in maritime zone delimitation talks

In an interview with the UAE television channel Alarabiya, defence minister Charalambos Petrides called on Turkey to accept the Republic of Cyprus’ invitation to engage in talks in view of reaching an agreement over the delimitation of the contested maritime zones between the two countries, or alternatively refer the issue to the International Court of Justice....

409. Turkish exploration vessel back in port ahead of EU summit

Turkey’s seismic exploration vessel Oruc Reis returned to port on Monday from disputed Mediterranean waters, less than two weeks before a European Union summit where the bloc will evaluate possible sanctions against Ankara....

410. France, EU lawmakers push for sanctions on Turkey next month

France is leading a push for European Union sanctions on Turkey next month to follow through on a threat made by the bloc in October, but has yet to win support from EU governments beyond Greece and Cyprus, officials and diplomats said. ...

411. Erdogan says Greeks behind raid on ship

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Wednesday suggested Greece and Cyprus were behind the interception of a Turkish vessel by German soldiers on behalf of a European Union mission off the Libyan coast late Sunday...

412. Tactical moves by Ankara before EU summit

The anticipated suspension on November 29 of the activities of the Oruc Reis seismic vessel within parts of the Greek continental shelf after having scanned the entire area it had reserved since August is being touted by Ankara as a goodwill move ahead of the European Council in December 10-11, where one of the main topics of discussion will be the possibility of imposing sanctions on Turkey over its behavior in the Eastern Mediterranean. ...

413. Biden key pick emerges

US president-elect Joe Biden is expected to nominate veteran diplomat Antony Blinken as his secretary of state, making good on a promise to restore EU-US relations and take a more active role on the global stage but also planting many unknowns in regards to Turkey...

414. Turkey’s behavior ‘widening its separation’ from EU, Borrell says

Turkey’s rhetoric on Cyprus is aggravating tensions with the European Union and Ankara must understand that its behavior is “widening its separation” from the 27-nation bloc, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Thursday....

415. Turkey and EU fall out over Varosha

Ankara is accusing the European Union of "ignoring the free will" of Turkish Cypriots, in response to EU High Representative Joseph Borrell, who deplored the latest developments in Varosha and called for them to be undone...

416. Ankara focused on getting recognition of north Cyprus

Well-informed sources in the Turkish capital and in the Turkish Cypriot community insist on the fact that the messages relayed during Sunday’s celebrations in the north are of particular importance for the future course of the Cyprus Problem. Returning to the well-known rhetoric of the division, Turkey once again brought to the fore strategies and moves for the Cyprus Problem that had been forgotten for several years....

417. Editorial: The third invasion

The first invasion engraved in Cyprus’ collective memory is that of July 20 1974, while the second is that of August 14 1974, when the Turkish army violated the truce agreement and moved its tanks towards Famagusta....

418. Erdogan sets foot on Cyprus’ Varosha

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Cyprus on Sunday during Turkish Cypriot celebrations in the north, prompting strong reactions from Greek Cypriots in the south at a time when the divided island’s political future hangs in the balance...

419. Erdogan visit to be marked by mass demonstration

Turkish Cypriot supporters of a bicommunal bi-zonal federation were on Thursday busy mobilizing ahead of the Turkish President’s visit to the north on Sunday, that is expected to be marked by large demonstrations....

420. Cavusoglu signals new Cyprus game plan

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has called for sovereign equality in divided Cyprus, adding that Ankara was ready for dialogue with Athens but also prepared for tension if Greece chose the latter...