Key facts
- Turkey's intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin reportedly visited Athens last week.
- Kalin met with Greece's National Intelligence Service director Themistoklis Demiris.
- The visit occurred amid rising tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean.
- Greece recently signed a significant defense deal with Israel.
- Turkey conveyed its position on preserving relations while asserting its rights in the Aegean.
- Greek accounts highlighted discussions on security cooperation including organized crime and migrant smuggling.
Turkey's intelligence chief, Ibrahim Kalin, reportedly made a secret visit to Athens last week for discussions with his Greek counterpart, Themistoklis Demiris. The meeting, reported by Greek and Turkish media, took place amid heightened tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, particularly concerning Greece's expanding defense cooperation with Israel.
Greece and Turkey have long-standing disputes over maritime borders, the militarization of Aegean islands, and the status of Cyprus. This latest intelligence-level contact follows a recent $3.5 billion defense deal between Greece and Israel, under which Israel will assist Athens in developing the Achilles Shield air defense system, incorporating Israeli technologies like David's Sling and SPYDER. This growing defense relationship between Greece and Israel has become a significant concern for Ankara, especially as Turkey-Israel relations have also become strained.
According to Turkish media reports, Kalin conveyed Ankara's desire to maintain a constructive relationship with Greece while firmly asserting its rights and interests. Turkey reportedly warned against unilateral actions that could create a fait accompli in the Aegean or alter the status quo through island militarization, viewing Greece's attempts to establish a new regional security line via Israel as a misstep.
Conversely, Greek accounts of the meeting emphasized intelligence and security cooperation, focusing on issues such as organized crime, migrant-smuggling networks, terrorism, and espionage. Reports suggested discussions included the presence of approximately 300 Turkish organized crime figures in Greece, linked to about 15 criminal organizations, and Turkish nationals allegedly involved in organizing migrant smuggling operations from the Turkish coast. The meeting was reportedly part of a regular security link between Athens and Ankara. Turkey has also voiced objections to other Greek initiatives in the Aegean, including its Special Spatial Framework for Tourism, urging Athens to avoid unilateral actions.