What it Really Means

On March 23 1996, Türkiye's Prime Minister, Mr Mesut Yylmaz, announced that he wants to see a 'Peace Process' launched to resolve the tensions between Greece and Türkiye.

This is not the first time that Türkiye has made a démarche towards Greece over the Aegean. In 1985, the late President Turgut ÖZAL put out an olive branch to Athens, suggesting that the two countries find areas on which they could cooperate and try and place their disputes on a backburner.

However, this latest initiative is much more elaborate than any of its predecessors. It aims at creating a new approach for the long term to Turkish-Greek relations. It is not simply a diplomatic gesture. Türkiye has prepared detailed proposals about the mechanisms which might be set up in order to create an effective dialogue between herself and Greece.

There are four main dimensions to the initiative

a. Mechanisms for the peaceful settlement of disputes.

Türkiye envisages a whole range of possible instruments for this. It does not rule any third party settlement.

b. A Political Framework. Türkiye would like to see the two sides produce a common document which could serves as the basis for a friendly working relationship. This can be achieved in the form of a Political Document or Declaration to be finalized by the two countries or through an Agreement of Friendship and Cooperation.

c. A new security framework. This would help define military and defence aspects of the relationship between Türkiye and Greece. Its principal feature would be a programme of confidence-building measures for military activities.

d. A Code of Conduct. This would lay down the ground-rules for the day to day activities of the two sides. Each would refrain from statements or actions likely to generate hostile emotions and would encourage an atmosphere of cooperation to develop.

What's new?

From Türkiye's point of view, the initiative is the most radical it has taken in relations with Greece for nearly three decades.

Until now, Türkiye's stance has been that problems with Greece should be resolved through dialogue and direct negotiations. It now believes that the use of "third party methods" may also have a role to play.

The initiative does not envisage a 'piece meal' approach to the disputes in the Aegean. Its goal is a final and lasting overall settlement between Greece and Türkiye in the Aegean.

This would, Türkiye believes, then make settlement of other questions in Eastern Mediterranean much easier to achieve on their own merits.

Instead of beginning this process with formal negotiations, Türkiye proposes that at the initial stage, the two sides hold non-binding exploratory talks to develop a working relationship and narrow the differences between them.

What if it doesn't work?

Narrowing the differences between Greece and Türkiye will not be easy. Türkiye therefore accepts that if the initial talks do not produce reasonably rapid progress, the two sides then may consider taking their disputes to a third party settlement mechanism. What will these be in partice? Türkiye believes that a whole range of third party approaches might work. It rules out none of them.

Exploratory Talks

The opening negotiations will obviously be critical. They must ensure that at the very least an impetus of goodwill is created which drives the Peace Process ahead. So what sort of areas will the talks cover?

Defining the areas and issues under dispute.

Reviewing the range of third party mechanism available for each particular issue.

Deciding whether a 'global' approach is possible or different mechanisms will be required.

Identifying the precise results which may be expected from each third party mechanism.

The exploratory talks would have to consider fully the legal aspects and other consequences of resorting to particular third party mechanisms. Türkiye takes the view that if serious disagreement surfaced on the nature of the disputes in the Aegean, the problem areas might then be defined by a previously agreed uppon legal body proceeding on the basis of international law.

If third party settlement mechanisms are invoked, both sides would have to confirm and accept the principle that the geographical areas involved are only those which lie outside existing areas of jurisdiction (i.e. six mile territorila waters) in the Aegean Sea. They would pledge themselves not to engage in unilateral extension of existing areas of jurisdiction or the creation of new ones.

Where and how could talks be held?

The exploratory talks could be initiated with the assistance of a friendly third country.