LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL SCIENCE HELLENIC OBSERVATORY 1 ST PHD SYMPOSIUM ON MODERN GREECE London School Of Economics And Political Science, Hellenic Observatory, 1 st PhD Symposium on Modern Greece: "Current Social Science Research on Greece", London, 21 st June 2003 SYMPOSIUM PAPER The Changing Role of the EU Factor in Greek-Turkish Relations By Ioannis N. Grigoriadis 1 INTRODUCTION As the main theme of this symposium suggests, Greece has undergone dramatic changes in numerous fields over the last few years. Few would doubt, however, that the change in the political climate between Greece and Turkey has not been among the most spectacular ones. Despite bitter historical background of uninterrupted conflict and warfare and existing disputes in a wide range of issues, Greece and Turkey showed for the first time their intention to overcome cold-war climate and try to improve working relations. This paper will focus on the changing role of the European Union factor in Greek-Turkish relations. I will argue that Greece’s position as regards Turkey’s EU membership has been modified due to a new view of Greece’s strategic interests. This change is not the result of tactical calculation but rather of a new strategic approach regarding Greek-Turkish relations. The viability of this rapprochement, however, depends on Turkey’s successful democratisation, a process fostered by Turkey’s interest in acceding to the European Union. The European Union has thus become a factor whose importance for the normalisation of Greek-Turkish relations can only be characterised as catalytic. GREECE AND TURKEY-EU RELATIONS It is commonplace to argue that Greece and Turkey have been in constant military and political competition. Having achieved its independence against the Ottoman Empire in 1830, Greece’s diplomatic history in the 19 th and early 20 th century was mostly tantamount with warfare against the declining empire. The wars in 1897, 1912-1913, 1916-1918, 1919-1922 2 led to the formation of modern Greece’s borders and embedded the view that Greek and Turkish foreign interests could only be antithetical. The establishment of the Turkish republic led to a brief détente period when Venizelos and Atatürk attempted to open a new page in Greek-Turkish relations; however, the pogrom against the Greek minority of Istanbul and the emergence of the Cyprus issue in the 1950s pulled Greek-Turkish relations into a quagmire. While the Greek minority of Istanbul eventually faded away, the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus did not deescalate tension in Greek-Turkish relations. Deteriorating relations among the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities directly affected Greek-Turkish relations. The culmination of this process came about in 1974 with the coup instigated by the Greek junta against the legitimate Cypriot government and the Turkish invasion and occupation of the northern part of the island since then. Greece and Turkey came to the brink of full-scale war in 1974, and this tension had a spill over effect over the Aegean and the rest of Greek-Turkish disputes. Tension and competition at military and political level continued to be the main patterns of Greek-Turkish relations. The introduction of the European 1 Ioannis N. Grigoriadis holds an MIA degree from the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University. He is currently an MPhil/PhD student in Politics at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. 2 The 1974 military operations in Cyprus could arguably be added to that list.