The mutual intention of governments in Athena and to Anchor leave no room for errors that could disturb the atmosphere that prevailed over the past two and a half months in Greek-Turkish underlines the abstention from any activity that could even be used as an electoral argument before elections in both countries.

From the Greek side, for the first time in several years, in the period before Easter, as well as during the Easter celebrations, there were no spectacular (at this stage they would be purely) pre-election visits to the untouched islands in order to photograph politicians with officers and soldiers.

At the same time, the Turks seem to have refrained from taking any steps that could undermine the atmosphere, most notably from postponing the planned visit of the country’s president. Recep Tayyip Erdogan V occupied territories of Cyprus.

These steps were also taken with the explicit (though not always visible) encouragement of third parties wishing to consolidate an atmosphere of calm in Greek-Turkish relations and, above all, to create conditions for a subsequent attempt to start more intensive negotiations between Athens and Ankara.

The intention of the Americans is known, and it became clear to everyone during the recent visits of the US Secretary of State to Athens and Ankara, but a similar atmosphere reigns in Berlin, where the unrest caused by internal German affairs in the Ukraine is in the spotlight.

Moratorium on exercise

Encouraging third parties who wish to perpetuate an atmosphere of calm and creating conditions for a subsequent attempt to start more intensive negotiations.

This trend was also reflected in the decision to moratorium on exercises reached by both sides and disclosed by “K”.

According to “K”in March and April, the Greek side decided to cancel two naval exercises called Triena, while the Turks, for their part, began to cancel the corresponding naval universities.

Also, in addition to the exercise moratorium, Athens has suspended the use of the three legal shooting ranges it has in Aegean Sea for the summer season (until, that is, until mid-September).

On the Turkish side, the use of three shooting ranges that were (illegally) declared in three parts of the Aegean, the last of which in 2015, was also suspended for the corresponding period.

“Back and forth” Kalina

Of course, this calm does not mean that either of the two sides intends to retreat from their national positions, which has become obvious even after the latest statements by the representative of the President of Turkey, Ibrahim Kalinwho, speaking of Greek-Turkish relations, referred to the need for a “diplomatic restoration” of differences.

Then, of course, he created a vision of the Turkish foreign policy of recent years, based on which Ankara’s interest extends from Brussels to … Tokyo.

“We should not get into quarrels with Greece,” said Mr. Kalin, who then noted that “we have certain difficulties due to history and geography. Without working through them, without conducting a diplomatic recovery and without finding a solution for them, we will not be able to take a step into the future.” He also briefly mentioned the problems posed by “the islands, the limitation of geography, some of the practices of the past and the Cyprus question”.