This methodical analysis of Greece's strategy towards Turkey highlights important new findings about the role particular elements of a state's strategic culture play in explaining major and/or minor shifts in strategy. The book breaks new ground in exploring when and how states develop socialization strategies.

This methodical analysis of Greece's strategy towards Turkey highlights important new findings about the role particular elements of a state's strategic culture play in explaining major and/or minor shifts in strategy. The book breaks new ground in exploring when and how states develop socialization strategies.

Greek–Turkish relations, despite some détente periods in their shared history, have been generally characterized by hostility and antagonism. But a significant breakthrough in Greek–Turkish relations was achieved in 1999, although certain signs of rapprochement were already present in the pre-1999 period. This date initiated a new era between the two countries thanks to a series of important events, such as the Helsinki summit, the earthquakes that occurred in 1999 in Turkey and in Greece, and the common initiatives of the Greek and Turkish Ministers of Foreign Affairs. Since then, bilateral relations have changed direction toward the positive. In order to better understand contemporary Greek–Turkish relations, this book covers a number of different aspects including the current state of minorities, the development of the contemporary Turkish national discourse, the narratives of friendship between the two nations, the influence of electronic media for the reconciliation process, and the role of civil actors for changing the perception of the “other.” In a period where Greece is struggling to overcome its chronic financial problems and Turkey is being shaped by major political events, the relations between the two countries become highly important, especially in addition to their geographical position near a destabilized geopolitical region. This book is addressed to anyone who is interested in understanding the relations between Greece and Turkey today and in forecasting their future relations—and, by consequence, the future of the eastern Mediterranean area.

Bahcheli analyzes the dispute over Cyprus from its emergence in the 1950s to the coup against President Makarios which brought Greece and Turkey to war in 1974. He considers the Cyprus issue within the narrow context of Greek-Turkish relations, and the broad context of international relations

Table of contents

This volume aims addresses the issues of Greek-Turkish conflict from a critical perspective and provides an up-to-date assessment of the recent rapprochement and its future development.

When Abdullah Ocalan, leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), was arrested in February 1999, it marked a turning point in relations between Greece and Turkey. As the country's most wanted man, his arrest was greeted with jubilation throughout most of Turkey. However, it also led to a public outcry when it emerged that he had been captured leaving the Greek Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. This was seen as definitive proof that the Greek Government had been aiding and abetting the PKK. In the days and weeks that followed the arrest, relations between the Aegean neighbours sank to their lowest level since the summer of 1974, when Athens and Ankara had come to the brink of war over Cyprus. However, by the end of the year, the picture could not have been more different. An improbable series of events that included a regional conflict, two major disasters and the death of a senior Greek politician had led to a complete transformation in the relations between the two countries. The crowning moment of this change came in December when Greece dropped its long-standing opposition to Turkish candidacy for EU membership. How did this remarkable change come about? Who should take the credit? And what did it mean for diplomatic relations in the Eastern Mediterranean? This is the story of how two countries started down a path to peace after decades of tension and hostility and how, over the course of one monumental year, relations between Greece and Turkey went from the brink of conflict to an unprecedented affirmation of friendship and solidarity.

This book offers a sober, contemplative and comprehensive coverage of Greek–Turkish relations, covering in depth the current political climate, with due regard to the historical dimension. The book includes up-to-date accounts of the traditional areas of unresolved discord (Aegean, minorities, Cyprus, the Patriarchate), with emphasis on why they remain contentious, despite the thaw in Greek–Turkish relations from 1999 until recently. It also covers new topics and challenges that have led to cooperation as well as friction, such as unprecedented economic cooperation, energy resources, or the refugee crisis. Furthermore, the volume deals with the ‘Europeanization’ of Greek–Turkish relations and other facilitating factors as they appeared in the first decade of the 21st century (including the role of civil society) as well as the contrary, ‘de-Europeanization’ from the 2010 onwards, which presages a hazardous downward trend in their relations, often not helped by the media in both countries, which is also examined. This volume will be essential reading to scholars and students of Greek–Turkish relations, more generally Greece and Turkey, and more broadly to the study of South European Politics, European Union politics, security studies and International Relations.