The Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP) on Wednesday, 16 December 2009, at 13.00 hrs, at the “Y. Kranidiotis” Amphitheater of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized a roundtable discussion on
10 years from Helsinki: Prospects for Greek-Turkish relations
The Helsinki Accord was a benchmark in the history of Greek-Turkish relations. Taking advantage from Turkey’s will for accession to the EU and EU’s will for broadening to the east, Greece has managed to advance the accession of the Republic of Cyprus to the EU, without having resolved previously the Cyprus dispute, and connect the Greek-Turkish disputes with Turkey’s European course. Since the summer of 1999, a period of clear amelioration of the bilateral relations began (after the very difficult 90s). After Helsinki there is a remarkable improvement in the economic relations of the two countries, with the increase of bilateral trade agreements and the Greek investments mainly in the banking sector. It is worth mentioning also the cooperation in the energy sector with the construction of gas pipelines, which will ensure Europe with gas of non-Russian origin. Furthermore, with the creation of university departments that aim to revoke prejudice and ignorance, there was an improvement in the civil society level as well. However, there are still some small-scale crises in the Aegean, Turkey has not yet changed attitude towards any of the issues that considers to be of high importance in the bilateral relations, while it seems that its attitude is becoming even harder with the contesting of the ownership of some inhabited islands (Agathonisi, Farmakonisi) within the “Grey Zones” theory.
Turkey’s domestic issues
In Turkey the perspective of EU accession strengthened the reformative powers that seeked to further democratize the country. Turkey’s difficulty in being a democracy of western type that approaches the acquis communautaire is due to the fact that there are multiple and different power centers. These often act autonomously and tend to isolate the moderate “voices”. As far as the “new” and extremely ambitious Turkish foreign policy is concerned, Turkey’s diplomatic successes should be neither underestimated nor overestimated.
Today
Today France and Germany are opposed to Turkey’s full accession in the EU. A “Plan B” that will complete our current strategy, which does not seem to bear fruit because of the lack of a visible “European benefit” for Ankara, for the normalization of Greek-Turkish relations through Turkey’s Europeanization is sought urgently.
Suggestions for Greek politics
1) Further improvement of bilateral relations, especially through economic and energy cooperation.
2) Formation of regional alliances and cooperation with major players in order to secure diplomatic back-up
3) Enhancement of preemptive force
4) Management at a national level of the issues related to the Muslim minority in Thrace.
Speakers:
Dr. Ioannis N. Grigoriadis, Associate Professor, Bilkent University, Ankara; Research Fellow, ELIAMEP
Mr. Stavros Lygeros, Journalist, Kathimerini Daily
Dr. Thanos Dokos, Director General, ELIAMEP
Dr. Angelos Syrigos, Assistant Professor, Panteion University
Prof. Theodoros Couloumbis, Vice-President of ELIAMEP moderated the discussion.