Turkish, Greek Naval Forces Join NATO-Led Drills in the Aegean Sea

It’s the latest sign that once-bitter rivals, Turkyie and Greece, are putting past differences behind them. Just three years ago, tensions in the Aegean were at their highest in years, with Ankara and Athens engaging in military standoffs both at sea and in the air. But now things are much calmer, following NATO-led drills the two neighbors participated in.

The naval exercise came earlier this month and follows a year of diplomatic breakthroughs that included Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Athens in December. In February, the countries’ two defence chiefs also agreed to join a German led missile shield system. The rapidly improving ties between the two NATO allies comes as the alliance welcomed its newest member Sweden, which officially joined last week. Ankara has been pressing Washington to follow through with its promise to sell dozens of F-16 fighter jets after giving the greenlight to Sweden’s bid. But what differences remain within NATO?

Strait Talk, hosted by Ayse Suberker, is TRT World’s programme that features in-depth analysis of Türkiye’s role in the world.

Guests:
Dimitri Triantaphyllou
Professor at Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences

Gregory Simons
Political Analyst

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