NATO Allies Meet as Mediterranean Conflict Continues

Greek and Turkish representatives met in Athens on Tuesday in yet another effort to resolve the countries’ decadeslong dispute over maritime boundaries and sovereignty in Cyprus. The two NATO members renewed their exploratory meetings in January after a tense five-year break, and hope to reach some form of understandings before the European Union summit later this month. Tuesday’s talks ended with no clear resolution and the sides agreed to reconvene again in Istanbul. The EU, which plans to discuss the issue at the March 25-26 conference, has largely had Greece’s back, going as far as threatening Turkey with sanctions if it continues its aggressive ways. Over the summer, tensions reached new highs when a Turkish research vessel tasked with finding gas deposits in disputed Eastern Mediterranean waters forced Greece and its allies to conduct nearby military maneuvers and fire live rounds at the ship.