Tensions have been growing between Greece and Turkey since the failed coup attempt in 2015. The eight Turkish soldiers who were accused of involvement in the coup attempt sought refuge in Greece. Despite the extradition demands of Turkey, Greek courts refused to hand over the soldiers claiming that there is sound evidence they might not get a fair trial. The antagonism recently escalated when Turkey jailed two Greek coastal guards accusing them of being spies. The countries are also at odds with each other over planned drilling for gas off the coast of Cyprus. The dogfights over the Aegean have intensified and the hostile rhetoric has been on the increase. The SEESOX panel will discuss the deterioration of Greek Turkish relations from different perspectives including domestic politics, the June 2018 elections in Turkey, the impact of the war in Syria, economic problems in both countries and the role of the European Union and NATO.
