On July 6, 1997, the Greek delegation arrived in Madrid for the NATO Summit, led by then-Prime Minister Kostas Simitis. Government spokesperson Dimitris Reppas assured that there was no scheduled meeting with then-President of Turkey Suleyman Demirel. However, the meeting had been arranged days before, with American intervention, and had been kept secret. On July 8, the Madrid Declaration was signed in the presence of the two leaders, a document that the Americans had "pre-cooked" and had worked on for this purpose since the day after the Imia incident. Through the confidential American telegrams, the entire planning unfolds, as well as the meetings, discussions, and negotiations that led to Madrid and what followed during the Americans' persistent effort to preserve this Agreement. An Agreement that has since sealed Greek-Turkish relations with the recognition of Turkey's "legitimate and vital interests" in the Aegean and the commitment to "avoid unilateral actions," which was upheld as the avoidance of exercising sovereign rights. An Agreement that prepared the ground for the cancellation of the transfer of the S-300s to Cyprus.

The Imia incident was not enough to "gray out" the Aegean. The Madrid Agreement was also needed...