Greek press: Ankara cancels visits to Athens

According to a report by Yiannis Souliotis from the Greek newspaper Kathimerini, Yerlikaya was expected to pay a one-day visit to Athens today.

Yerlikaya was scheduled to meet with Greek Minister of Citizen Protection Michalis Chrisochoidis, Minister of Maritime Affairs Christos Stylianides, and Minister of Migration Nikos Panagiotopoulos for lunch.

The main agenda item of the meeting was to be migration and security issues.

'TURKEY INFORMED'

According to the report, Turkey informed Greece on Monday, July 29, around noon that the visit had been cancelled. No explanation was provided regarding the reason for the cancellation.

Sources cited by the newspaper linked the development to the rising tension between Athens and Ankara in recent days.

On the other hand, it remains unclear whether the meetings expected to take place between the Turkish and Greek Coast Guard agencies during the summer months will proceed.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Reports in the Greek press last week stated that Turkey had 'deployed warships to the region by violating Greek territorial waters.'

Newspapers and news sites such as Kathimerini, Efimerida ton Sintakton, News247, Newsit, and ERT described the events in the Aegean as a 'mini-crisis' and characterized Turkey's stance as a 'provocation.'

According to the Greek press, the spark for the new tension in the Aegean was the work carried out by the Italian-flagged ship 'Ievoli Relume' between Cyprus and Crete. The ship was conducting necessary research prior to submarine cable-laying work for an electricity connection planned between the two islands.

According to the reports, Turkey declared that the area where the ship was operating was within its own continental shelf and sent 5 warships to the region.

The presence of the Turkish navy in the region, consisting of two frigates, one corvette, and two fast attack craft, was met with a reaction in Greece.

News Source: 12punto