Concerns about Ankara's real intentions and motivations are being raised by the methodical escalation of rhetoric in the Greek-Turkish conflict, which began with the hysterical reactions of the Turkish media and the high-profile intervention of the Turkish Minister of National Defense in the statements of Nikos Dendias on the defense of the islands and culminated yesterday with the statements of Hakan Fidan in the Turkish Grand National Assembly.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan used a traditional iftar dinner in Ankara to address the state of Greek-Turkish relations, emphasizing Turkey's desire for stability in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean.

The Greek-Turkish rapprochement process is moving within a framework of step-by-step efforts to maintain a calm climate and manage issues that could provoke tensions in the immediate future. Naturally, the significant distance separating the two countries on the major issue of maritime delimitation defines both the framework and the limits of this challenging undertaking.