Greece and Türkiye
Greece and Türkiye share a neighbourhood, trade and NATO membership while maintaining disagreements over the Aegean and other regional issues. Dialogue mechanisms coexist with opposing legal positions. Transport and tourism create practical connections that can progress without a final settlement of every dispute.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-07 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-07Disagreements in the Aegean
Official positions on delimitation and other matters are not identical.
Allies with differences
Both joined NATO in 1952; the alliance does not eliminate bilateral disputes.
Economic and social agenda
Trade, transport and tourism sustain practical channels of cooperation.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | ||
| Goods: Greece to Türkiye | ||
| Goods: Türkiye to Greece | ||
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: Greece to Türkiye | ||
| Export share: Türkiye to Greece | ||
| Investment stock: Greece in Türkiye | 102 M USD | 2025 · Republic of Türkiye · official filing with the SEC |
| Investment stock: Türkiye in Greece | 70 M USD | 2025 · Republic of Türkiye · official filing with the SEC |
Definitions and sources
Trade adds both directions. Shares refer to the country’s total goods exports; investment is an accumulated stock, not an annual flow. Every figure retains the currency and period of its source. BEA positions are historical-cost estimates based on the immediate counterpart, not market values or investment by ultimate owner. ‘More than’ indicates a lower bound, not an exact amount. A recorded stock does not establish new activity or authorisation to operate under sanctions.
- Investment stock: Greece in Türkiye
- 2025 · Republic of Türkiye · official filing with the SEC · Direct investment stock published by the Republic of Türkiye: Greece in Türkiye 102 M USD; Türkiye in Greece 70 M USD. Rounded figures; not flows, announcements or investment targets.
- Investment stock: Türkiye in Greece
- 2025 · Republic of Türkiye · official filing with the SEC · Direct investment stock published by the Republic of Türkiye: Greece in Türkiye 102 M USD; Türkiye in Greece 70 M USD. Rounded figures; not flows, announcements or investment targets.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
Year-on-year inflation: different periods or frequencies; the two figures are not directly comparable.
| Indicator | Greece | Türkiye |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 280.64 billion USD2025 · WB | 1.6 trillion USD2025 · WB |
| GDP per capita | 26,948.01 USD2025 · WB | 18,599.44 USD2025 · WB |
| GDP growth | 2.07 %2025 · WB | 3.6 %2025 · WB |
| Policy interest rate | 2.5 %2026-09-16 · BCE | 37 %2026-09-10 · TCMB |
| Inflation · annual average | 2.48 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | 34.88 %Annual average · 2025 · WB |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | 3.8 %Headline CPI · 2026-08 · year-on-year · ELSTAT | 29.73 %Headline CPI · 2026-09 · year-on-year · TCMB / TURKSTAT |
| Unemployment | 8.54 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 8.52 %ILO est.2025 · WB |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | 1.3 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | -2.8 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 145.7 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 23.5 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | -7.11 %2024 · WB | -0.77 %2024 · WB |
| Population | 10,413,9622025 · WB | 85,878,5562025 · WB |
| Area | 131,960 km²2023 · WB | 785,350 km²2023 · WB |
| Military expenditure | ||
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
Definitions, dates and sources
Blank cells are not zero. Average annual inflation and the latest year-on-year figure appear in separate rows: they are not the same measure. Every annual indicator retains its reference year; when the years differ, the figures are identified as not directly comparable. When a figure is unavailable from the World Bank, an annual IMF estimate is used and identified as such. The latest year-on-year figure is the latest official release verified as of 7 October 2026. This includes advance releases marked as provisional. Mexico may have a fortnightly figure before the full month is published; it is not automatically compared with a monthly figure. The publication date is retained in each source’s details; it does not replace the observation period or the annual average. Policy rates carry their own dates and represent different instruments. Spain and France share the ECB rate. Balances are positive for surpluses and negative for deficits. The IMF may use fiscal years; unemployment retains each source’s definition (ILO estimates, IMF WEO or PCBS), as stated in the details. For Palestine, debt and the fiscal balance cover central government and retain the PCBS definition; they are not presented as consolidated general government. These are economic magnitudes, not measures of relationship quality.
Area retains each source’s territorial coverage; it does not determine sovereignty or effective control. Canada uses an archived national geographic reference. Military expenditure retains the 2024 SIPRI sample distributed by the World Bank: the amount and percentage of GDP use that same definition, which differs from NATO’s. It is not an approved budget or a 2026 figure. Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Military expenditure database · Terms of use0
Indicators reviewed: 2026-10-07. Each source retains its original access date; this review does not turn all the data into 2026 observations. Figures may be revised.
- Nominal GDP
- Current USDGreece: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Türkiye: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personGreece: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Türkiye: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)Greece: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Türkiye: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)Greece: 2026-09-16 · ECB: deposit facility; shared euro-area rate · European Central Bank · Greece shares the ECB's monetary policy. Same instrument and date as Spain.Türkiye: 2026-09-10 · One-week repo auction rate · TCMB · Official central-bank decision; not a commercial lending rate or a bill yield.
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)Greece: 2025 · Annual average change in the CPI (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Türkiye: 2025 · Annual average change in the CPI (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Inflation · latest year-on-year figure
- Headline CPI relative to the same period of the previous year (%); monthly or fortnightly frequency statedGreece: 2026-08 · National headline CPI, change from the same month of the previous year · ELSTAT · Published: 2026-09-09 · Official monthly data. Not mixed with the annual average. · Alternative official source; verified 2026-10-07Türkiye: 2026-09 · National headline CPI, change from the same month of the previous year · TCMB / TURKSTAT · Official monthly data. Not mixed with the annual average. · Alternative official source; verified 2026-10-07
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionGreece: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate, % of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Türkiye: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate, % of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)Greece: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO estimate, not a monthly observation. Retains the country's fiscal year where it differs from the calendar year.Türkiye: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO estimate, not a monthly observation. Retains the country's fiscal year where it differs from the calendar year.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)Greece: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO estimate, not a monthly observation. Retains the country's fiscal year where it differs from the calendar year.Türkiye: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO estimate, not a monthly observation. Retains the country's fiscal year where it differs from the calendar year.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPGreece: 2024 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Türkiye: 2024 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Population
- PeopleGreece: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query. Extrapolated assuming the same growth rate as the previous 6 months.Türkiye: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceGreece: 2023 · World Bank / FAO · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Türkiye: 2023 · World Bank / FAO · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Military expenditure
- Current USD per year; SIPRI series
- Military expenditure (% of GDP)
- Percentage of GDP; SIPRI definition, not NATO’s definition
Other data specific to this relationship
Published bilateral trade
6,660 M USD2025
Rounded total from Türkiye's foreign ministry; not broken down by calculating from an approximate balance. [2]
What they buy and sell
Documented selection, not an exhaustive list. Cells without a figure do not mean zero value; some products are identified without a verified amount.
Greece to Türkiye
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
Türkiye to Greece
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
Connections between people
Tourism and maritime connections are an important dimension of the neighbourhood; the Greek-islands regime has its own conditions and territorial scope. [2]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
Travel figures retain each source's coverage. Check the definitions and periods before comparing the two directions.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from Greece living in Türkiye | ||
| Residents from Türkiye living in Greece | ||
| Study and training: Greece in Türkiye | ||
| Study and training: Türkiye in Greece | ||
| Academic stays: Greece in Türkiye | ||
| Academic stays: Türkiye in Greece | ||
| Travel: Greece to TürkiyeTourists from Greece to Türkiye; approximate ministry figure | ≈ 800.000 | 2025 · Türkiye Foreign Affairs |
| Travel: Türkiye to GreeceTourists from Türkiye to Greece; approximate ministry figure | ≈ 1.400.000 | 2025 · Türkiye Foreign Affairs |
What each figure measures
Residents are counted by nationality and the coverage of the stated register, not as people born in the other country or as new arrivals in one year. PERE includes dual nationals and people born outside Spain. Study with OPT and stays carrying academic credit are different measures. Travel may include several visits by the same person; FRONTUR arrivals require an overnight stay, whereas the Canadian survey includes day visits. These figures are neither added together nor automatically compared across directions.
- Travel: Greece to Türkiye
- Approximate amount published by Türkiye's foreign ministry. The profile does not specify whether the country refers to nationality or residence, or whether it counts unique people or arrivals. It is not automatically compared with a travel survey or border register. 2025 · Türkiye Foreign Affairs
- Travel: Türkiye to Greece
- Approximate amount published by Türkiye's foreign ministry. The profile does not specify whether the country refers to nationality or residence, or whether it counts unique people or arrivals. It is not automatically compared with a travel survey or border register. 2025 · Türkiye Foreign Affairs
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
Two positions that should be read separately
Greece presents delimitation of the continental shelf and exclusive economic zone as a central issue and criticises Turkish claims it considers contrary to its rights. Türkiye describes several interrelated issues in the Aegean and advocates bilateral settlement mechanisms. The article identifies these positions as official arguments, not a ruling by the atlas. Maritime delimitation, airspace and Cyprus are not a single case with an identical legal basis either. [1] [2]
NATO does not replace bilateral negotiation
Greece and Türkiye joined NATO on 18 February 1952, according to the contemporary North Atlantic Council statement. Shared membership adds institutions and security coordination, but does not automatically resolve disagreements over sovereignty or delimitation. Sharing a defence organisation and maintaining a bilateral dispute are compatible facts. Interpreting every friction as withdrawal from the alliance, or every NATO meeting as settlement of the dispute, would confuse those levels. [3]
Trade, ports and connections between societies
Türkiye's foreign ministry reports trade of approximately 6,660 million USD in 2025 and describes cooperation in transport and business contacts. Travel also connects coastal communities and tourism markets. The maritime-entry regime for certain Greek islands has a specific scope; it is not a general exemption for all Greek territory. Visitor amounts published by the same source are approximate and are not presented as unique people. [2]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Reviewed: 2026-10-07
The agenda of contacts in 2026
Both ministries record the High-Level Cooperation Council meeting held in Ankara on 11 February 2026. The Turkish side also documents the ninth joint action-plan meeting in Athens on 21 January. These mechanisms allow practical actions to advance and political conversation to continue. Holding them does not by itself prove a final agreement on maritime delimitation or require the two governments to describe disputed matters in the same way. [1] [2]
Distinguishing infrastructure plans from completed works
The Turkish profile mentions a planned second bridge at the İpsala–Kipoi crossing. Planned infrastructure can demonstrate a shared transport agenda, but its announcement does not establish completed construction or capacity already available. The same criterion applies to trade targets, mobility rules and declarations of good neighbourliness: identifying the instrument and date helps separate continuing dialogue, administrative implementation and results actually reaching businesses or travellers. [2]
Milestones and consequences
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
Trade total and tourists: approximate figures published by Türkiye for 2025. The rounded balance is not used to manufacture precise exports. Legal positions are attributed to Greece and Türkiye.
- Bilateral relations with Türkiye
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Bilateral relations with Greece
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Greece and Türkiye joining NATO
OTAN · Institutional source · Document: 1952-02-25 · Accessed: 2026-10-07