It was the 61st round of such talks, which commenced in 2002, when George Papandreou was foreign minister, and were abruptly terminated in 2016 after an abortive coup against Erdogan
Though both sides have long declared publicly that they wish to resume talks, their views on the agenda and limits of such a dialogue are diametrically opposed.
The United States ordered 600 million doses of the BioNTech/Pfizer shot in July, while the EU waited until November to place an order half that size.
The ECB decided to hike the pandemic QE by 500mn euros and approved a nine-month extension of the programme through March, 2022.
The United States, Italy and Spain were the top exporters of arms to Turkey from 2015-2019, according the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Political initiatives are needed to ensure solidarity with vulnerable groups and the poor, to guarantee the endurance of the health system, and to check the epidemic's spread.
The prospect of a vaccine electrified world markets with the S&P 500 and Dow hitting record highs. JPMorgan said it expected the S&P 500 index to hit 4,000 points by early 2021.
As many times as one may shout Allahu Akbar before a cold-blooded murder in Europe they will never be able to win the jihad that they have declared.
Each time Erdoagn pushed the envelope a bit further because he knew that although Greece was complaining strongly the EU would not significantly change its posture.
Turkish militarism was entrenched after the revolution of the Young Turks. Earlier, the Germans, who traditionally supported the Turks, played a significant role in creating Turkish nationalism.
To justify his military intervention on many fronts Erdogan says that he is is guided by the Ottoman past, but he is in fact reviving the catastrophic, expansionist Nazi theory of lebensraum.
Recently Turkey’s interlocutors and allies have sent Ankara strongly critical signals such as having top officials visiting the region without going to Turkey.
In light of Turkey’s erratic and dangerous policies and the policy of appeasement on the part of strong powers there is no room for complacency.
Paradoxically the fire that destroyed the Moria camp not only highlighted the conditions on the islands where refugees and migrants reside but it also offered Greece a great opportunity.
'Very useful exchange with President Erdogan on developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and on migration. I welcome the planned launch of talks with Greece, which are essential for stability in the Eastern Mediterranean,' said Von der Leyen.
From the start Greece has stressed the need for all parties to abide by international law and to that end launched an international diplomatic blitz.
'We have the issue of security and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean which is not the affair of Greece and Cyprus alone but an EU issue,' Michel said
Only France is stepping forward to staunchly and with clear judgment support Greece’s just positions. Other EU countries, however, are not doing their part as their interests have led them to adopt a neutral stance.
At times indifferent, at other times weak, and at other times hiding behind the refusal of local societies to bear their portion of the burden, the competent officials had buried their heads in the sand with the hope that the problem would gradually disappear.
With Greek-Turkish tensions and the pandemic crisis having put the entire country on red alert suddenly the refugee issue exploded.
Before the decision to turn the museum of the Christian Basilica of Hagia Sophia into a mosque and yesterday’s NAVTEX (a navigational warning), since May, 2019, there were a series of provocative actions by Turkey
French President Emmanuel Macron issued a stern message to Turkey criticising its activity in Libya but other EU states are not on board and there is no solid EU front against Turkey.
The High Court delivered its decision just as the next and largest ECB bond-buying programme to address the problems borne of the coronavirus crisis is being launched.
Europe now has an ideal opportunity to act decisively and thus ensure its long-term prospects as a cohesive and useful supra-national structure that ensures the well-being of the peoples of the Union.
Much like her predecessor Mario Draghi, ECB chief Christine Lagarde has declared she will do anything necessary to shore up the eurozone and temper the economic shock of the pandemic.
It is not easy at difficult moments to be magnanimous. Yet it is at such times that generosity characterises great leadership, as did the perceptiveness and moral leadership of Chancellor Angela Merkel during the refugee crisis of 2015.
The wealthy states of Northern Europe and especially Germany, the Netherlands, and Finland continue to stubbornly refuse to adopt bold economic measures in the midst of a deadly pandemic.
The current unprecedented crisis constitutes a major temptation for authoritarian rulers everywhere to usurp more power.
The Turkish leadership went as far as to liken the situation at the border to the plight of the Jews during the Holocaust. This disrespected the memory of the millions brutally murdered by the Nazis.
It would be disastrous to leave the economy to its own devices as many governments in Europe realise though there are glaring and unfortunate exceptions, which have made the situation even more difficult.
Greece and the enitire EU responded effectively when migrants and refugees in Evros were exploited by Ankara as a tool of blackmail to achieve objectives that were anything but humanitarian.
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