In a meeting, in which... the "good atmosphere" and broad smiles overflowed, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis jointly decided to rekindle their relations, apparently putting Cyprus on the shelf.
The Greek prime minister did not say a word about Cyprus at the press conference that followed his meeting with the president of the occupyiers so as not to spoil the... climate.
It is clear that Mitsotakis, as well as the political and economic elite in Athens, consider the Cyprus issue an obstacle to the normalisation of relations with occupying Turkey. And because, naively, they consider it an obstacle, they avoid it.
But since it is July, an anniversary month for Hellenism, a month to remember the Cypriot tragedy, some in Athens should read history again to remember how the tragedy, the destruction in Cyprus was caused.
It is noted in this regard that Mitsotakis and Erdogan agreed, among other things, to hold a Turkey-Greece Cooperation Supreme Council meeting in the fall in Thessaloniki. It will be the first meeting since 2016 and is therefore considered a very important step in Greek-Turkish relations.
This means that the communication channels are opened again and the endless rounds of Exploratory Contacts begin. Mitsotakis and Erdogan tasked the two foreign ministers "to guide the process and inform about the progress being made."
It is recalled that the Republic of Cyprus has requested the institutionalisation of cooperation by holding joint meetings of the ministers' councils of the two states. The last time this was raised was during the first visit of the new President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, to Athens, last March.
The Greek government has not yet responded.
In the coming days, various things will be leaked about the content of the meeting between Mitsotakis and Erdogan and it will be interesting what will be broadcast. Can someone argue, claim that the progress in Greek-Turkish relations and possibly Euro-Turkish ties will also favour the Cypriot issue.
This does not follow from what has been said publicly. The only thing that emerges is that both of them avoided referring to the Cyprus issue.
Kostas Venizelos is a regular contributor to SLPress.
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