Greek, Turkish diplomats hold talks after year of strain

Athens: Senior diplomats from Greece and Turkey are meeting in Athens on Tuesday in an effort to ease long-standing tensions between the two NATO members over disputed sea boundaries and related mineral rights.

The exploratory talks are aimed at leading to more formal negotiations following a five-year pause.

The tension between Greece and Turkey led to a dangerous military build-up in the eastern Mediterranean last year and also added strain to Ankara’s ties with the European Union.

The EU is currently preparing an evaluation report on its relationship with Turkey, but European officials say there have been signs of improvement in recent weeks.