Disagreement Between Athens and Ankara at the Start of Erdogan's 'Historic' Visit to Greece

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkey, began his two-day trip to Greece on Thursday, December 7, amid disagreements regarding the border treaty between the two countries even before his arrival. Mr. Erdogan entered Athens, the capital of Greece, and is scheduled to meet with the Muslim community in the north of the country on Friday, December 8. However, according to a report by Reuters, a comment made by the Turkish President in an interview with Greek media regarding the border treaty elicited negative reactions from the Greeks. Turkey and Greece, both NATO members, have come close to war at least three times in 1974, 1987, and 1996. The two countries have longstanding disputes over Cyprus and its Turkish population, the right to utilize resources in the Aegean Sea, and the sovereignty of some small islands in that sea. Given this background, the Turkish President's visit, which some experts have described as 'historic,' was expected to further improve relations between the two countries. However, Recep Tayyip Erdogan mentioned in an interview with a Greek newspaper and television network the need for 'revision and amendment of the border treaty between the two countries.' According to Mr. Erdogan, any treaty 'needs to be reviewed and amended, and the Lausanne Treaty also needs to be amended in light of recent developments.' Nevertheless, he did not provide further explanation on this matter. The treaty known as Lausanne, named after a city in Switzerland, was concluded in 1923 and defined the borders of Turkey and consequently its neighbor, Greece. In a swift reaction to the Turkish President's comment, the Greek government spokesman deemed renegotiation and amendment of this treaty impossible and reminded that the proposal for changes to this treaty contradicts efforts to improve relations. The President of Greece also emphasized this point in his meeting with his Turkish counterpart, stating, 'The Lausanne Treaty determines the territory and territorial integrity of Greece and the European Union, and for us, it is non-negotiable.' As Reuters reported, despite improved relations between the two countries in recent years, 'many Greeks' believe that Turkey has designs on their territory. Over the past year, Mr. Erdogan's government has accused Greece of harboring individuals involved in Turkey's failed coup.