The head of Turkey's national intelligence agency made a rare secret trip to Athens last week to meet his Greek counterp...

The head of Turkey's national intelligence agency made a rare secret trip to Athens last week to meet his Greek counterpart face to face, according to Turkish security sources cited by Hurriyet. Ibrahim Kalin, who runs MIT, sat down with Themistoklis Demiris, director general of Greece's EYP intelligence service, for talks that both governments have stayed silent about. Hurriyet reported the meeting was triggered by a fresh flare-up of tensions over the Aegean, with Turkey continuing to pressure Greece over the military status of Aegean islands, and Greece accusing Ankara of violating Greek sovereignty through a recently announced marine park in the southern Aegean. Both sides reportedly acknowledged the need to ease that friction, though neither government has confirmed the talks publicly. Beyond the Aegean standoff, the two spy chiefs covered a wide range of regional security issues. Turkish sources told Hurriyet the agenda included the ongoing Iran-US war, the new political reality in Syria, the situation in Libya, and what was described as continued Israeli ceasefire violations in Syria and Lebanon. The two officials also agreed to deepen intelligence cooperation on counterterrorism, organized crime, irregular migration, and human trafficking. According to the Turkish sources, they described this cooperation as vital for security across the Aegean, the western Mediterranean, and within NATO, and agreed to elevate it to a strategic level. Hurriyet called the meeting "rare," noting it came precisely at a moment of visible tension between the two countries over unresolved Aegean disputes. Both Maximos Mansion in Athens and Turkish officials have kept quiet about what was discussed or even that the meeting took place. #Greece #Turkey #Aegean