Greece and Turkey to begin exploratory talks on January 25

The 61st first round of exploratory contacts between Greece and Turkey will start on January 25 in Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολη, Turkish: İstanbul), the Greek Foreign Ministry announced.

A few hours ago, the Turkish side contacted Greece and proposed that the 61st round of Exploratory Contacts take place in Istanbul on January 25, 2021.

Athens accepted the invitation.

Earlier today, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Cavuşoğlu said “We call on Greece for the first meeting of exploratory contacts in January," as reported by Greek City Times.

However, this was a public statement rather than an official invitation from the Turkish Foreign Ministry, hence the delay in the invitation being accepted.

Turkey through its failed "Blue Homeland" policy has attempted to steal Greek maritime space after signing an illegal Memorandum of Understanding with the Muslim Brotherhood Government of National Accords based in the Libyan capital of Tripoli.

Although the policy failed, Turkey insists on expansionist ambitions and attempted to provoke a conflict in the middle of 2020.

One of the biggest issues in resolving Turkey's claims over Greek maritime space is that it is one of the very few questions in the entire world to not have signed or ratified the United Nations Charter Law of the Sea.

Turkey also does not recognise the legitimacy of the International Court of Justice in The Hague.