By Antonis Anzoletou

Every meeting between the Greek Prime Minister and Tayyip Erdogan does not go unnoticed. Especially in recent years when tensions with the neighbors have skyrocketed. Early today at noon the two leaders will have another meeting which is particularly critical. There are new data. The devastating earthquake in the neighboring country, combined with the difficult pre-election campaign, forced the Turkish president to drop the tones with Greece. The “green” light opened by Turkey for the inclusion of Sweden in the NATO it automatically also means a rapprochement of the neighbors with the West. From February onwards the violations were a thing of the past and all that was left was some harsh words and an aggressive rhetoric just to maintain the feud. Greece, Turkey and Cyprus have new governments with a long time horizon, with many analysts believing that there is even a small hope for a “restart”.

Foreign policy, however, has continuity as do the many problems that exist. No one hopes that everything will be erased and suddenly Tayyip Erdoğan will love Greece. His views on the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean are not going to change. This is why they are not complacent in the triangle of Maximos, Pentagon and Vasilissis Sophia. Who believes that Turkish provocative air activity will remain at zero levels? No. The only differences recognized by the Greek side – and this is clarified – are the delimitation of the continental shelf and the EEZ.
No one is predicting, however, that there will be a repeat of 2019 when the two leaders first met. The government term of Kyriakos Mitsotakis was starting then and Greek-Turkish had caught fire. The Turkish-Libyan memorandum, the summer with the Oruchs Reis crisis and the migration issue in the Evros brought the relations of the two countries to a nadir. What Athens needs, in order to maintain a calm climate, is for Ankara to stop raising issues that constitute “red lines” for the Greek side, such as the demilitarization of the islands, but also the “Blue Homeland” doctrine. And this message was sent yesterday by Kyriakos Mitsotakis from Vilnius.

The Greek Prime Minister will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis and Deputy Foreign Minister Alexandra Papadopoulou, as well as Mr. Mitsotakis’ diplomatic advisor, Anna Maria Boura. On Turkey’s side, Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Press Secretary Chagatai Kilic, a close adviser to the Turkish president, and possibly the Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister. There will be parallel meetings of Giorgos Gerapetritis with Hakan Fidan and Nikos Dendias Yasar Guler. It will be of great interest if the prime minister somehow puts on the table the issue of the Turkish consulate’s intervention in the country’s political affairs in Thrace, which occupied a lot of the pre-election debate in Greece.

It has already been announced that there is an agreement to promote the dialogue at the level of confidence building measures (CBM). The US is urging a de-escalation of tensions with Erdogan, who has nevertheless launched a new “bargain” for the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits. He wishes to rename them to “Turkish Straits” showing that the attempts to alter the international treaties (Montreux Convention) do not stop, as do the claims.

THE Tayyip Erdogan has shown that it wishes to improve its relations with its neighbors. He has made rapprochement steps with Egypt and Israel. In any case, when the two leaders of Greece and Turkey meet, the development of a positive agenda is the main thing. Energy, transport on road and rail networks, trade, and tourism are common points of possible bilateral cooperation. As well as exploratory contacts in order to maintain the dialogue. If things go well between Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Tayyip Erdogan, the next possible meeting between the two men could be the annual UN meeting in New York at the end of September.