61st exploratory contacts between Greece and Turkey will be in Athens

The 61st round of exploratory contacts between Greece and Turkey began on Monday morning in Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολις, Turkish: İstanbul) after a five-year break and at the invitation of the Turkish side.

Greece and Turkey are expected to have another round of contacts in Athens.

The first meeting in Dolmabahçe Palace in Kounopetra (Κουνόπετρα, Turkish: Beşiktaş) district lasted just over three hours, with the neighboring country putting a lot of issues on the table.

In particular, Ankara brought to the table many issues, such as the demilitarisation of the islands, gray areas, Thrace and airspace, while they also proposed a mechanism for immigration.

However, Athens has emphasised that discussions will not expand outside of maritime issues, especially since Greece has a legal right to militarise its islands.