Greek photographer Athanasios Maloukos has been named the overall winner of the Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) 2025 awards for his remarkable portfolios capturing spiritual rituals: the solemn Holy Week processions in Zamora, Spain, and the hypnotic Sema ceremony of whirling dervishes in Konya, Turkey.
Turkey
The Greek Cypriot newspaper Simerini has triggered significant discussion in Turkey and the broader region…
Government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis reiterated on Mega TV that extending Greece’s territorial waters remains an inalienable sovereign right, which the country will exercise “at the appropriate time.” He emphasized that sovereignty issues are non-negotiable, with the sole Greece-Türkiye dispute being the delimitation of the continental shelf and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Turkey’s two-year NAVTEX in the Aegean signals a permanent presence and firm response to Greece’s push for 12-mile territorial waters, escalating maritime tensions amid ongoing disputes.
Turkish media outlet Türkiye Today accuses Greece of marginalizing Ottoman-era monuments and cultural layers around the Acropolis through new infrastructure and cultural routes focused on ancient classical sites. The article claims this creates a “hierarchy of history” that sidelines nearly 400 years of Ottoman influence in Athens, including neglected buildings, artifacts, and mosques—though fact-checks note a modern mosque operates in the city today. The debate highlights tensions over how multi-layered heritage is presented in national narratives.
Turkey issues two long-term NAVTEX notices in the Aegean, reaffirming claims over continental shelf and demilitarized status of Greek islands ahead of Mitsotakis-Erdogan talks in February.
Retired Indian Air Marshal Anil Chopra proposes a “Mediterranean QUAD” with India joining Greece, Cyprus, and Israel to balance an emerging Turkey-Pakistan-Saudi “Islamic NATO”. Explore the strategic implications for Eastern Mediterranean stability.
The Turkish opposition has been increasingly bringing the “Blue Homeland” doctrine back into the spotlight.…
Greece Reserves Right to Extend Territorial Waters to 12 Miles – Won’t Accept Turkey’s Casus…
President Donald Trump has officially invited Pope Leo XIV and the Holy See to join the “Board of Peace,” a Middle East alliance aimed at ending the Gaza conflict, coordinating reconstruction, and advancing a lasting Palestinian state aligned with UN Security Council Resolution 2803. Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin confirmed the invitation is under review, potentially adding significant spiritual influence to a group already including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Israel, and others with major investment commitments. While Norway has declined, the Vatican’s possible participation could prove transformative for Trump’s peace initiative.
Deputy Foreign Ministers Alexandra Papadopoulou and Mehmet Kemal Bozay met in Athens on January 20, 2026, for the 5th round of Political Dialogue, reviewing bilateral progress since June 2025 and advancing preparations for the 6th High-Level Cooperation Council in Türkiye, amid a positive atmosphere focused on expanding cooperation.
Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias announced deepened cooperation with Israel in anti-drone systems, countering drone swarms, and cybersecurity following high-level talks in Athens with Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz. The four-day security visit underscores growing strategic ties between the two nations, which already operate a joint air training centre in Greece and conduct regular combined military drills.
Israel and Cyprus are nearing completion of a long-awaited intergovernmental agreement on the management of the shared Aphrodite–Ishai (Yishai) natural gas field in the Eastern Mediterranean. Sources indicate the bilateral deal is in its final drafting phase, with an Israeli delegation expected in Cyprus this January for intensive talks to finalize details.
Greek FM George Gerapetritis reaffirms plans to extend territorial waters to 12 nautical miles in the Aegean, despite Turkey’s 1995 casus belli threat viewing it as a red line and potential cause for war.
The White House has launched the Board of Peace (Peace Council) to oversee Gaza’s transitional governance and reconstruction as part of Phase Two of President Donald Trump’s Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, backed by UN Security Council Resolution 2803.
Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis announced plans to extend Greece’s territorial waters beyond the current 6 nautical miles in parts of the Aegean Sea, citing successful agreements with Italy and Egypt, while reaffirming Athens’ commitment to sovereignty amid Turkey’s longstanding threat of military response.
Fidan on SKAI: Erdoğan to Meet Mitsotakis in February – ‘We Want a Permanent Solution in the Aegean’
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced on SKAI that President Erdoğan and Prime Minister Mitsotakis will meet in February to seek a permanent resolution to the Aegean dispute, while stressing the need to set aside domestic politics for progress.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan sharply criticized Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s engagement with Benjamin Netanyahu, noting that no other European leaders are traveling to Tel Aviv for photos amid widespread political backlash. Fidan described Netanyahu’s government as both genocidal and suicidal, endangering Israel’s future.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen joined Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides on a symbolic tour of Nicosia’s Green Line, highlighting EU support for reunification and Cyprus’s 2026 EU Council presidency.
Secret airlifts, the Turkish refinery in Çorum, and the geopolitical background of a precious metal…
A Turkish Navy ATR 72-600 TMPA aircraft (TCB-754, callsign TURNA50) resumed a long-range surveillance mission over the Aegean Sea on January 14, 2026, operating within the Athens FIR but avoiding Greek national airspace. The flight, from Çanakkale to Dalaman, highlights renewed calibrated signaling amid regional tensions after a period of absence from public tracking.
Nicosia, January 14, 2026 (Greek City Times) — Turkey signals renewed aggressive energy exploration in…
“It will be difficult for us to get the F-35 without conditions for the Aegean,”…
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are eyeing a high-level bilateral summit as early as February 2026 in Ankara, following a January 12 phone call between Foreign Ministers George Gerapetritis and Hakan Fidan.
Erdogan advisor: “If Israel moves weapons to Kastellorizo, Turkey must occupy the island immediately!” Tensions rise in the Aegean over alleged Israeli military presence on Greek islands.
One person died and seven remain missing after a rubber dinghy carrying migrants sank in the Aegean Sea off Dikili, İzmir province, early on January 10, 2026. The Turkish Coast Guard rescued 37 survivors alive, with operations continuing for the missing amid rough conditions on this perilous route to the Greek island of Lesbos.
Archaeologists in Türkiye have uncovered a rare marble carving of Medusa with a gentle, childlike smile in the ancient city of Amastris—founded by Greek Queen Amastris. This unique depiction, resembling the god Eros, symbolises peace and prosperity rather than fear, challenging traditional views of the Gorgon from Greek mythology.
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Öncü Keçeli has sharply criticized the Republic of Cyprus and the European Union, accusing Cyprus of exploiting its rotating EU Presidency to push a “distorted” narrative on the Cyprus issue, while claiming the EU has failed to act as a neutral player in resolving the conflict.
Turkey has accused Greece of conducting unilateral fiber optic cable-laying activities in the Aegean Sea, disregarding Ankara’s maritime rights. The Turkish Defense Ministry is closely monitoring the Panama-flagged vessel Ocean Link, while denying allegations of harassment. The operations, aimed at improving connectivity on Greek islands, continue without incident under a Greek-issued Navtex valid until January 26.
A Palau-flagged Suezmax oil tanker, the Elbus, was damaged in a suspected Ukrainian drone strike in the Black Sea off Turkey’s Kastamonu province on January 8, 2026. The vessel, en route to Russia’s Novorossiysk port and linked to Moscow’s “shadow fleet,” suffered upper deck damage but no crew injuries or oil spill. This is the latest in a series of attacks aimed at disrupting sanctioned Russian oil trade.
