The conservative Greek government will push a positive agenda in its relations with neighbouring Turkey in a move expected to be announced at a meeting between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Vilnius. Sarantis Michalopoulos reports in Euractiv on June 28, 2023.
The new foreign minister is Professor Giorgos Gerapetritis, a close ally of Mitsotakis, who served as minister of state in the previous government.
The new Greek top diplomat replaced Nikos Dendias in the post.
In his first speech, Gerapetritis did not reference Turkey, insisting that the country’s foreign policy lines would not be changed.
“The Greek foreign policy has been and will remain a policy of principles, a policy based on international law, inspired by the principles of the United Nations Charter and aimed at regional cooperation and stability”, Gerapetritis said.
He stressed that these principles are “challenged” by current geopolitical turmoil and added, “It is our duty to defend our sovereignty and national identity daily and non-negotiable […] I assure you that we will do it in full”.
In the last four years, Greek-Turkish relations have not been easy as long-standing maritime disputes in the Aegean Sea, among others, remain unsolved.
Following years of turmoil, things became calmer after a shocking earthquake in Turkey and the solidarity shown by Athens.
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Media reports in Athens suggest that although, in practice, on a policy level, there has been no progress, the change of “faces” in the foreign policy posts in both Athens and Ankara may mark the beginning of a new era.
In Turkey, Hakan Fidan replaced Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu after the election victory of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s party.
Meanwhile, a meeting is scheduled between Mitsotakis and Erdoğan on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Vilnius on 11-12 July.
The announcement was made almost immediately after Mitsotakis’ New Democracy party won the general elections last Sunday.
Analysts estimate that at the meeting, the two leaders will push a positive agenda despite the fact that neither Athens nor Ankara have changed their positions in key matters of the dispute.
Sarantis Michalopoulos reports in Euractiv on June 28, 2023.