Athens Hints at Delay in Greece-Turkey Talks
Athens Hints at Delay in Greece-Turkey Talks
Greek Government Spokesman Pavlos Marinakis stated that recent developments in Turkey are creating significant challenges in organizing the bilateral Supreme Cooperation Council between Greece and Turkey.
His remarks strongly suggested that a meeting between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is unlikely to take place soon.
He was responding to a question at a media briefing about the likelihood of a meeting between the two leaders against the backdrop of the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.
Turkey has been rocked by the largest street protests in more than a decade following the arrest and then, on Sunday, the jailing of Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, widely seen as President Erdogan’s most formidable political rival, pending trial on corruption charges that he strongly denies.
The meeting between Mitsotakis and Erdogan, initially planned for April 8, had not been finalized, as discussions between Athens and Ankara were still in their final stages before Turkey’s political crisis emerged.
Greece: The situation in Turkey “is fluid and worrying”
“We are monitoring developments in Turkey. The situation remains fluid and worrying. As for Imamoglu, our position remains firm. Concessions on the rule of law and political freedoms cannot be tolerated. And convincing answers are needed for any concessions,” Marinakis said.
“Given these developments, organizing the Supreme Council for Cooperation between Greece and Turkey immediately has become difficult.”
He said the issue could be discussed by the foreign ministers of both countries at the NATO foreign ministers summit in Brussels in early April.
Greece-Turkey relations have improved significantly over the past two years, especially following a period of heightened tensions in 2020-2021 over issues like maritime boundaries, energy exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean, and military confrontations. Mitsotakis and Erdogan have met multiple times, emphasizing dialogue and de-escalation.
The last time they met officially was on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
The Greek PM reconfirmed the willingness to preserve calmness in the Aegean and the East Mediterranean, to follow up on political dialog, and at the same time to promote soft diplomacy issues.
According to Greek government sources, there was a general review of Greek-Turkish relations with an emphasis on the migration issue. In terms of the maritime zones, there will be an evaluation of the issue following the meeting. Mitsotakis and Erdogan discussed the timeline for the political dialog, the positive agenda, and confidence-building measures.
While long-standing issues like territorial disputes and migration remain unresolved, both governments seem committed to maintaining a more constructive and less confrontational approach.