Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met in Ankara on Wednesday in a much anticipated meeting with low expectations, though. In their first meeting again since 2024, the two leaders agreed that they disagree in a series of crucial issues, however, they expressed a shared belief that the dialogue should continue.
The two leaders discussed that Greek-Turkish relations for about 1.5 hours, followed by the meeting of the Supreme Cooperation Council. Athens and Ankara signed six agreements and a joint declaration.
The two leaders discussed that Greek-Turkish relations for about 1.5 hours, followed by the meeting of the Supreme Cooperation Council. Athens and Ankara signed six agreements and a joint declaration.
While no information of the tête-à-tête meeting has not been leaked to the press, so far, the joint statements by Mitsotakis and Erdogan were indicative of the atmosphere in private and that the thorny issues between the two countries remain as such.
Video: Joint statements Mitsotakis-Erdogan
“The value of dialogue is confirmed. We handle problems calmly, even when we disagree in good faith and with respect. Even if we disagree, it is important not to be led to judgments. I believe it is time to remove any threat to our relations. If not now, when?”, Mitsotakis said among others, in joint statements with a grumpy looking Erdogan. The reference of the Greek PM to the Turkish casus belli was more than clear.
“There are also significant disagreements. The delimitation of maritime zones is the only dispute that could be brought to Court [Court of the Hague], based on the Law of the Sea. Our position is clear for minorities based on the Treaty of Lausanne. Let’s work on how minorities can become bridges of friendship between our peoples”, the Greek PM underlined.
The Turkish president was bold enough to refer to “Turkish minority in Thrace” with Mitsotakis to remind him that the status of the Muslim minority in north-eastern Greece is defined by the religion as agreed with the Treaty of Lausanne between Eleftherios Venizelos and Kemal Ataturk in 1923.
“Let’s continue our dialogue. The agreements we sign strengthen our mutual contacts. We discussed our positions on the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean,” Erdogan said among others adding “we argue that the issues are not resolved on the basis of international law. I was pleased to find that we agree with my friend Kyriakos [Erdogan said Kostas live] on this matter.”
Other issues discussed were regional ones such as Gaze and Syria as well as the challenges the NATO currently faces.
The agreements signed were:
- Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of Culture
- Joint Declaration on the Cooperation of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Greece and Turkey within the framework of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization
- Joint Declaration on the cooperation between “Enterprise Greece” and “Invest in Turkiye”
- Joint Declaration on the launch of the bilateral cooperation program in research and technology
- Joint Declaration on strengthening bilateral cooperation in the field of earthquake preparedness
- Joint Declaration on the routing of the ferry connection between the ports of Thessaloniki and Izmir.
Comment
The meeting “was like an obligation that had to be done,” daily tovima.gr commented shortly after the joint statements. “Everything shows that the Mitsotakis-Erdogan meeting took place because it could not not take place. On both sides, more or less, it was treated as a liability that had to be dealt with. The statements of both the Turkish President and the Greek Prime Minister showed that Ankara and Athens are not departing from their known positions. Which were clearly repeated, but with diplomatic vehemence. And in relation to the Aegean and with regard to minorities. In this regard, all that remains of the contact is the declaration of the two leaders, which was more like a wish, that the channels of communication between the two countries remain open.”
I view these meetings like the definition of a committee:
“A committee is a collection of people who individually have the power to do nothing but collectively have the power to decide that nothing can be done.”
Erdogan will never give up the dream of recreating the Ottoman Empire and Mitsotakis will never relinquish anything granted in the Treaty of Lausanne. The rest of the world has other fish to fry and don’t really care.