Columbia International Affairs Online: Policy Briefs

CIAO DATE: 08/2011

Turkey and Greece: Time to Settle the Aegean Dispute

July 2011

International Crisis Group

Abstract

Turkey and Greece: Time to Settle the Aegean Dispute, the latest International Crisis Group policy briefing, identifies favourable circumstances for resolving the long-standing issues. While Ankara fears losing access to open seas and the Aegean continental shelf, and Athens worries about the security of hundreds of its islands, continuing deadlock is costly for both. Greece, in financial crisis, needs to reduce a disproportionate military budget. Turkey’s new government, elected with a strong majority in June, needs to ensure its neighbour’s stability and further assert itself as a responsi ble regional player.