A new “climate of rapprochement” seems to be entering the relations between Greece and Turkey, after the impressive “turn” in the rhetoric of Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the “opening” of the Turkish president to the West and the European Union. The meeting of Kyriakos Mitsotakis with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, confirmed the positive climate that has begun to build after the devastating earthquakes in the neighboring country and the help offered by Greece. The Greek prime minister and the Turkish president discussed the road map for the rapprochement between the two sides, putting on the discussion table – mainly – the intention to continue the dialogue at the highest diplomatic level, without tensions and “conflicts” that only benefit both peoples are not going to work.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan had made his intentions clear since Tuesday, when he gave the green light for Sweden to join NATO, as well as to restart relations and processes with European Union.

On the same wavelength and the rhetoric of the Turkish president in the meeting with his American counterpart Joe Biden and especially in the matter of F-16s. Mr. Erdogan’s statement about the F-16s and Greece made a big impression, as, as the Turkish president pointed out… “we have never used the F-16s against Greece and we do not intend to do so in the future.”

“What the president told us is that Congress is binding. He declared that he will do everything he can… He told me I will watch it and I have hopes. He told us that just as it has to go through the National Assembly, so it has to be approved by the Congress. He mentioned that some members of Congress from the Democrats and sometimes from the Republicans, put up obstacles. However, both the president and the foreign minister told us that they will monitor the issue and I hope that in this process we will get a positive result. I have higher hopes than any other time,” the Turkish president emphasized, describing the meeting with the American president, adding: “For the issue of the arrival of the F-16s, Greece and Northern Cyprus, we had a meeting with Mitsotakis. We do not aim to win enemies. Erdogan’s goal is not to increase enemies, but to increase friends.”

Kyriakos Mitsotakis referred to the cooperation framework envisioned with Turkey for the future, which – framework – rests on three axes:

1) in the political dialogue, under the guidance of the foreign ministers

2) in building and trust measures

3) in the western agenda

Responding to the looming US-Turkey agreement for the modernization and supply of American F-16 fighters, the Prime Minister emphasized that this only indirectly concerns Greece, stressed that it remains to be seen how this will be reflected as a request from the US government to Congress and underlined that “it has been understood, however, that the armaments within the framework of NATO should not be used at the expense of another member state”, while he reiterated that Washington treats Greece as a factor of stability in the wider region. Kyriakos Mitsotakis also insisted that “Greece and Cyprus sit at the same table” of the European Council, stressing that any improvement in Turkey-EU relations goes through Athens and Nicosia. The Prime Minister insisted that it is in our strategic interest “for Turkey to play by our own rules, namely International Law and multilateral schemes”. When asked if he was upset at his appointment with the Turkish president, Kyriakos Mitsotakis emphasized that uncontrolled migration flows in the Mediterranean are a hybrid threat to NATO and underlined that Turkey knows very well what the issues are, which it does not discuss and does not consider that Athens is part of the Greek-Turkish dialogue. “Both Mr. Erdogan and I are starting a new term, I have no reason to doubt the sincerity of his intentions, yes it is a shift by Turkey, probably also an adjustment to reality and since I have no written evidence to the contrary I can I see the glass as half full”, noted Mr. Mitsotakis.

“What I can tell you is that my meeting with the Turkish President was in a good atmosphere. We agreed that we must build on the positive developments of the last few months, after the earthquakes in Turkey and after the practical support provided by both the Greek Government and the Greek society during the earthquake to the Turkish people, I believe that many things have changed in the psychology of the our relationship. Our meeting today reaffirmed the mood, both mine and President Erdoğan’s, for a new restart in terms of Greek-Turkish relations, but also for a – I would say – clearer channel, road map, for how we will move in the coming months . As written in the announcement, our intention is to be able to meet again before the end of the year at the level of the Supreme Cooperation Council, in Thessaloniki, with an obviously positive agenda on the “menu”. This, by God, does not mean that the significant problems we have with Turkey have been magically solved, but I think it indicates the willingness of both leaderships to re-approach the framework of our relations through a more positive perspective, and I hold that as the most important conclusion of today’s meeting.

The framework that I envisage in terms of the way in which this mood for a better cooperation will take “flesh and bones” essentially has three axes. The first is the political dialogue, under the guidance of the two Ministers of Foreign Affairs, in which obviously the important, heavy geopolitical issues will be discussed, with the most important being the basic issue which we recognize as our difference with Turkey, that is the demarcation of the maritime zones, EEZ and continental shelf, in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean. The second channel is Confidence Building Measures, which can bear more fruit by building on the positive momentum of recent months. And the third axis of approach concerns the so-called positive agenda. It is a work that has been done by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Fragogiannis, which was also prepared before this meeting. It concerns issues of economic cooperation, energy cooperation, possibly cooperation in areas such as civil protection. It is an area in which I believe we can – and relatively quickly – have some tangible results, so that these can be formalized, hopefully, at the Supreme Cooperation Council in Thessaloniki before the end of the year.

I also want to remind you that the issue of Euro-Turkish relations will be the subject of discussion at the level of the European Council. The European Council, as you know, has in the past taken decisions regarding the framework of European Union-Turkey relations. You remember, because you had covered them, that he had opened two roads for Turkey: the good and the less good. Our intention is to walk the positive path. And certainly the improvement of Greek-Turkish relations can only help Turkey’s overall approach to the European Union, since I have no reason to doubt that this intention of Turkey seems to be sincere at the moment”, stressed the Greek Prime Minister for the meeting with the Turkish president.

Referring to Greece’s relations with the US and Turkey’s relations with the US, he emphasized:

“I can talk about the US-Greece relations, which are – I would say – stronger than ever. In fact, I had the opportunity to talk with President Biden on the sidelines of the Summit. We reaffirmed the very high level of our cooperation. In the intervention that I made now on the occasion of the discussion around Ukraine, I reiterated the great importance of the port of Alexandroupolis, not only for the United States but overall for the supply of the entire eastern wing of NATO with troops and also with equipment.

And yes, what I can tell you is that I believe that in the framework of the cooperation between Greece and the United States we will have – I believe soon – some positive news about how the United States intends to further strengthen the Greek Armed Forces, in the context of the strategy cooperation that we have.

Now, beyond that, what the United States is doing with Turkey is something that, as you understand, concerns us only indirectly. What I can tell you is that the position of Congress on this issue seems to be known, I don’t want to say anything more. It remains to be seen how the request will be formulated by the US government to Congress.

I think it is common ground that the equipment given to NATO member countries should not be used against other Alliance member countries. But this, as I told you, is not something that directly concerns Greece.

What I can again reaffirm is the excellent level of United States-Greece relations and the way in which the United States sees Greece as a factor of stability – geopolitical, economic, energy stability – in the wider Eastern Mediterranean region” .

Regarding Turkey’s relations with the European Union, he said:

“Athens and Nicosia sit at the table of the European Council. Consequently, it is obvious that an improvement in Turkey’s relations with the European Union is definitely directly related to the view that both Greece and Nicosia have of the progress we can achieve. From then on, as I told you before, we will discuss the issue of Turkey again.

I want to emphasize this – I have always said this, even in the most difficult moments of Greek-Turkish relations – that we do not have a strategic advantage with a Turkey that is directly opposite the West, the European Union, the United States.

Greece’s benefit is for Turkey to play by our own rules. With the rules of International Law, with the rules of the multilateral schemes in which it participates, such as NATO, or of the multilateral schemes with which it wants to have a closer relationship, such as the European Union.

I want to repeat that we are at the beginning – both myself and President Erdoğan – of a new term and I have no reason at this time to doubt the sincerity of his intentions.

Is this a shift in relation to what we have seen from Turkey lately? Yes, it’s a turn. It is possibly an adaptation to reality. But I have an obligation, especially when I have no written evidence to the contrary, to see the glass as half full and not half empty.”

Regarding the equipment, Mr. Mitsotakis said:

“Look, no such issue was raised and no such issue could be raised, just as I would not raise the issue of Turkey’s ability to arm itself, as long as this does not – I emphasize – actually threaten Greek sovereignty and our sovereign rights.

The equipment program of the Hellenic Armed Forces, apparently under the absolute approval of the Greek Government, is set in motion, not amenable to substantial modifications. It is a program that shields the Armed Forces but at the same time contributes to NATO as a whole, and also to the concept of Europe’s strategic autonomy.

In other words, we should not see the investments in the Armed Forces only through the lens of the rivalry we have with Turkey and this applies to us as well, how we see the possibility of Turkey being able to arm itself.

I stress that what has always concerned us is that NATO equipment should not be used for violations of sovereignty and sovereign rights. Beyond that, however, each country has the right and the ability to arm itself as it deems to best serve its own national priorities.”