In late 2017, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made the first visit to Athens by a Turkish leader in his lifetime – and started firing off accusations. Greece would never have joined Nato without Turkey’s support, he claimed, adding that Athens fails to respect Turkey’s borders and neglects hundreds of former Ottoman sites.
A groundbreaking visit turned into diplomatic shock treatment, paving the way, in part, for roiling tensions that led to confrontations in the eastern Mediterranean and put the two neighbours on the brink of war in mid-2020. Of course, Turks and Greeks have been quarrelling since ancient times. A few decades of calm followed Turkish independence and the 1923 population exchange, but then came anti-Greek violence in Turkey in 1955; Turkey’s invasion of Cyprus in 1974 and the island’s division; and more war drums in 1987 and 1996.
But this latest period of unrest may have come to an end last week when Mr Erdogan, six years to the day since his last visit, returned to Athens to meet Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, agree to a dozen new initiatives and sign a friendly relations declaration. “There is no issue between us that is unsolvable,” said Turkey’s longtime leader. “We want to turn the Aegean into a sea of peace.”
This period of unrest may have come to an end last week
Few seas have seen as much trouble as the Aegean, but the Athens Declaration seems a good start – urging the two states to maintain regular communication, find ways to co-operate militarily, and double annual trade to $10 billion.
Also, several of the bilateral initiatives hint at real progress. To help further stem illegal migration, Turkey and Greece committed to an unprecedented exchange of security personnel. Greek coastguard officials are to be posted in Izmir, on Turkey’s Aegean coast, while Turkish coastguard officials set up shop in Lesbos.
After years of back-and-forth accusations about migrant pushbacks and other violations, this could be a game-changer in terms of security co-operation. In another landmark move, Greece agreed to allow Turkish citizens without visas to enter its Aegean Islands.
Tourist-friendly islands like Chios, Samos, Lesbos and Kos are visible from Turkey and hundreds of kilometres from the Greek mainland, yet most Turks have been unable to visit them because they lack Schengen visas. At a time when Turkey is openly challenging Nato expansion and accusing the West of barbarism and Islamophobia and prominent observers are calling for Turkey to be kicked out of Nato, this marks a sharp U-turn in Ankara’s relations with the West.
How did it all start? The tenor began to shift after Greece responded to Turkey’s devastating February earthquakes by quickly dispatching rescue teams. Shortly after that, Turkey responded in kind when Greece suffered a horrific train crash. Yet in June, as their defence ministers talked of improving relations, Mr Erdogan denounced Athens’ weapons purchases from the US and said Turkey sought to “contain its adversaries”.
The neighbours could not even agree on what to call the sea that separates them, thanks to Turkey’s tourist campaign promoting a place called Turkaegean. Athens said the label put Greek sovereignty over its Aegean Islands in doubt, so to now see Greece welcome Turkish border officials to those same islands, six months later, is surprising to say the least.
But there’s still a long way to go. Neither is likely to back down from their positions and the two sides do not even know how to start talks on issues like Cyprus and maritime borders. In both countries, few issues exercise the electorate like going after the rival across the Aegean.
Also, it’s wise to wonder if it’s mostly for show. In an interview with a Greek newspaper last week, Mr Erdogan said the continental shelf issue is a “dispute that can be brought to The Hague.” But flying back from Athens a few days later, he told reporters that the two neighbours could resolve their issues without any third parties. If Turkey and Greece are able to shrug off their feuding history and begin solving most, or at least some, of their disagreements – a massive “if” – the impact could be profound.
Normalisation would boost trade and tourism just as Greece is seeing a revival and Turkey shows signs of emerging from its years-long economic crisis. Annual foreign investment in Turkish bonds crossed into positive territory last week for the first time since 2017, for instance, and Turkey’s central bank reserves hit a record high of $140 billion.
It could pave the way for meaningful Cyprus talks and the development of natural gas around the island, helping energy-hungry Europe. It could enhance Nato co-operation in the increasingly tense eastern Mediterranean and reduce anti-Turkey sentiment in Washington and Brussels, where that view tends to be driven by pro-Greek voices.
Finally, along with the major step Armenia and Azerbaijan took towards peace last week, Turkey-Greece amity would represent a glimmer of stability in a region sandwiched by brutal and globally impactful conflicts to the north and to the south. Now is not the time for more confrontation; if Mr Erdogan and Mr Mitsotakis are able to cement this budding friendship and calm the Aegean’s long-troubled waters, it would be one fewer urgent item on the regional agenda. A sea of peace is always good for the world.
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDirect%20Debit%20System%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sept%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20with%20a%20subsidiary%20in%20the%20UK%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Undisclosed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Elaine%20Jones%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
Winners
Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
About Tenderd
Started: May 2018
Founder: Arjun Mohan
Based: Dubai
Size: 23 employees
Funding: Raised $5.8m in a seed fund round in December 2018. Backers include Y Combinator, Beco Capital, Venturesouq, Paul Graham, Peter Thiel, Paul Buchheit, Justin Mateen, Matt Mickiewicz, SOMA, Dynamo and Global Founders Capital
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Tonight's Chat on The National
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster with a decades-long career in TV. He has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others. Karam is also the founder of Takreem.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
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GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20Cashew%0D%3Cbr%3EStarted%3A%202020%0D%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Ibtissam%20Ouassif%20and%20Ammar%20Afif%0D%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3EIndustry%3A%20FinTech%0D%3Cbr%3EFunding%20size%3A%20%2410m%0D%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Mashreq%2C%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Power: 190bhp
Torque: 300Nm
Price: Dh169,900
On sale: now
Keane on …
Liverpool’s Uefa Champions League bid: “They’re great. With the attacking force they have, for me, they’re certainly one of the favourites. You look at the teams left in it - they’re capable of scoring against anybody at any given time. Defensively they’ve been good, so I don’t see any reason why they couldn’t go on and win it.”
Mohamed Salah’s debut campaign at Anfield: “Unbelievable. He’s been phenomenal. You can name the front three, but for him on a personal level, he’s been unreal. He’s been great to watch and hopefully he can continue now until the end of the season - which I’m sure he will, because he’s been in fine form. He’s been incredible this season.”
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s instant impact at former club LA Galaxy: “Brilliant. It’s been a great start for him and for the club. They were crying out for another big name there. They were lacking that, for the prestige of LA Galaxy. And now they have one of the finest stars. I hope they can go win something this year.”
MATCH INFO
Scotland 59 (Tries: Hastings (2), G Horne (3), Turner, Seymour, Barclay, Kinghorn, McInally; Cons: Hastings 8)
Russia 0
Breast cancer in men: the facts
1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.
2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash.
3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible.
4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key.
5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
Alwyn Stephen says much of his success is a result of taking an educated chance on business decisions.
His advice to anyone starting out in business is to have no fear as life is about taking on challenges.
“If you have the ambition and dream of something, follow that dream, be positive, determined and set goals.
"Nothing and no-one can stop you from succeeding with the right work application, and a little bit of luck along the way.”
Mr Stephen sells his luxury fragrances at selected perfumeries around the UAE, including the House of Niche Boutique in Al Seef.
He relaxes by spending time with his family at home, and enjoying his wife’s India cooking.
Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
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White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
Profile of Hala Insurance
Date Started: September 2018
Founders: Walid and Karim Dib
Based: Abu Dhabi
Employees: Nine
Amount raised: $1.2 million
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, AB Accelerator, 500 Startups, private backers
The specs: Macan Turbo
Engine: Dual synchronous electric motors
Power: 639hp
Torque: 1,130Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Touring range: 591km
Price: From Dh412,500
On sale: Deliveries start in October
Dunki
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The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
The%20specs
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The Written World: How Literature Shaped History
Martin Puchner
Granta
