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1. Turkish court rules to let Hagia Sophia return as mosque

2. Only through dialogue can the Mediterranean regain stability, Borrell says

The Mediterranean can be a more secure and stable zone only through dialogue, the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said at the European Parliament’s plenary session on Turkey in Brussels. ...

3. Health Minister alarmed over Belgium's inclusion of Cyprus in 'orange' travel zone

Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou on Thursday expressed surprise over Belgium’s inclusion of Cyprus in its elevated risk zone for travel....

4. Turkey reacts to US plan for military education, training for Cyprus

Turkey expressed its disagreement over a US government plan to make International Military Education and Training (IMET) available to Cyprus, saying it does not help resolve the island’s division....

5. Anastasiades fires back at Turkish FM's 'insolent' comments

Our task is to achieve the suspension of Turkey’s unbridled ambition to impose its own version of international law in order to serve its expansionist policies, President Nicos Anastasiades said Tuesday in response to what he described as “insolent” statements issued by the Turkish Foreign Minister on Monday....

6. Turkey warns it will respond if EU takes fresh measures against it

Turkey will respond with its own steps if the European Union imposes further sanctions on Ankara, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday after meeting the EU’s top diplomat....

7. Berlin to press Ankara over drilling plans for East Med

Berlin plans to play an active role, in the context of Germany's presidency of the European Council, in easing tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean where Turkey plans to expand its exploration for oil and gas in contravention of Greek and Cypriot exclusive economic zones...

8. Anastasiades: Patriotic realism dictates solution through diplomacy, not weapons

Instead of a catastrophic scenario, we opt for diplomacy, the weapons of international law and Cyprus’ status as an EU member state. This is what is dictated by patriotic realism and rationalism, and not a rhetoric of empty slogans. The coming days are crucial as regards initiatives taken by the EU and the US in view of preventing a potential crisis through targeted measures towards Turkey....

9. Cyprus and Greece FMs discuss ways of dealing with Turkey

Cyprus Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides paid an official visit to Greece on Friday to meet with his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias....

10. Aegean tension fueling Berlin concern

With Germany assuming the European Union presidency on Wednesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed concern over developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and Greek-Turkish relations in response to questions from MPs in the Bundestag....

11. Greece reopens regional airports, says Covid-19 risk calculated

Greece reopened its regional airports to international flights on Wednesday, pinning its hopes on a recovery in tourism after a three-month lockdown....

12. Anastasiades: Cyprus wants escalation of EU action against Turkey

“Cyprus is asking for an escalation of EU action against Turkey’s provocativeness,” President Nicos Anastasiades stated in an interview with the Greek television network Open....

13. EU agrees on ‘safe’ travel list, excluding United States

The European Union has excluded the United States from its initial 'safe list' of countries from which the bloc will allow non-essential travel from Wednesday....

14. EPP head calls for more EU support for Greece, Cyprus vis-a-vis Turkey

The chairman of the European People’s Party (EPP) and German MEP on Tuesday urged the European Union’s high representative for foreign affairs, Josep Borrell, to call for debate on “ongoing and repeated Turkish aggressions” against Greece and Cyprus....

15. Greece to open seven border crossings with Balkan countries, Turkey

Greece will reopen seven of its 14 border crossings in the north on Wednesday, as part of the country’s further reopening to tourists from abroad....

16. Turkey says Greek FM’s comments on EastMed 'detached from reality'

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias’ statements on the situation in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean “are entirely detached from reality.” ...

17. Borrell says EU ‘determined’ to protect external borders

The European Union is “determined” to protect its external borders and Greece’s territory, the bloc’s high representative for foreign affairs, Josep Borrell, said during a visit at Greece’s northeastern border on Wednesday....

18. Cyprus to host next trilateral meeting of Greek, Cyprus, Israel FMs

Cyprus will host the next trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of Cyprus, Israel and Greece, the Cyprus foreign minister Nicos Christodoulides agreed with his Israeli counterpart during a visit to Israel on Tuesday....

19. Turkish FM accuses Athens of shirking dialogue

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu dismissed accusations that Ankara is unwilling to seek a solution through talks with Greece, saying that the Greek prime minister needs to “look in the mirror and ask himself where he went wrong.” ...

20. Egyptian president stresses importance of strategic relations with Greece

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has stressed the importance of strategic relations with Greece, while expressing Cairo’s desire to strengthen cooperation with Athens in a wide range of areas, according to a statement by the Egyptian presidency published in the country’s flagship state newspaper Al-Ahram....

21. Turkey spells out position on Greek islands

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has reiterated Ankara’s contentious claim that islands that lie far from the Greek mainland, including Kastellorizo in the southeastern Aegean, are not entitled to generate continental shelves...

22. Greek PM holds telephone conversation with Palestinian counterpart

Developments in the Eastern Mediterranean, particularly Turkey’s increasing aggressiveness in the region, as well as the next steps in resolving the Middle East conflict were at the center of a telephone conversation on Thursday between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his Palestinian counterpart Mohammad Shtayyeh....

23. Cyprus, Greece to be Israeli tourists' first destination, Netanyhu says

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday he aims to resume regular flights to and from Israel by August 1, noting Greece and Cyprus will be the first destination for Israeli tourists....

24. Borell to visit Cyprus, says island rightly complains about Turkey's activities

Greece and Cyprus have been rightly complaining about Turkey`s drilling activities near their coastlines, the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borell said Monday, noting the EU27 are increasingly concerned about the increasing escalations from Turkey....

25. Mitsotakis makes Israel his first destination

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is traveling to Israel today on his first foreign visit since the coronavirus outbreak. The message is clear, and it is being sent out in several directions. After deepening their mutually beneficial relationship (which is not aimed at any third country) for a decade, Greece and Israel are pushing ties to a new level....

26. Greece will be better prepared for second wave of Covid-19, PM says

Greece will be better prepared if the coronavirus pandemic resurfaces in fall, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on a television interview on Sunday night....

27. Athens has four deterrence scenarios over Turkey's drilling plans

In anticipation of a crisis in September, when Turkey says it plans to begin drilling activities in Greece's continental shelf, Athens has elaborated four deterrence plans, while at the same bidding to keep channels of communication open with Ankara....

28. Cyprus President and Greek Premier share call to coordinate

President Nicos Anastasiades and the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis shared a telephone conversation on Thursday to coordinate a series of separate contacts and deliberations the two leaders will hold with foreign leaders....

29. Cyprus cries foul over Turkey’s pick at UNGA

Cyprus and Armenia have sent a letter to the UN Secretary-General explaining the reasons why the two countries object to the election by silence procedure of Volkan Bozkir of Turkey as President of the UN General Assembly at its 75 session...

30. Greece and Italy sign ‘historic’ maritime borders accord

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias and his Italian counterpart Luigi Di Maio on Tuesday inked a maritime borders agreement delimiting an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) between the two countries....