The death of Aydan Erol at the age of 86 has brought renewed attention to…
Tag: Greek-Turkish relations
ANKARA, 12 February 2026 – The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew attended a private dinner hosted by…
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.
The upcoming meeting between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan…
Turkey has ended a period of calm in the Aegean with the first recorded airspace violations since 2023, including 8 incursions into Greek national airspace, 4 FIR infringements, and a mock dogfight involving armed F-16s between Limnos and Lesbos.
Greece Reaffirms That Delimitation of EEZ and Continental Shelf Is the “One and Only” Dispute…
Ömer Çelik of Turkey’s AKP attacks Greek Defense Minister Dendias over Aegean defense changes, calling him a “troll” and warning of possible Turkish action.
Turkey’s “Blue Homeland” ambitions are hitting a wall as Greece unveils a missile-heavy “Achilles Shield” deterrence doctrine, Cyprus locks in EU-backed energy projects that bypass Ankara, and Brussels shuts Turkey out of the €150 billion SAFE defense fund amid Greek and Cypriot veto threats.
In a period marked by geopolitical upheaval and international uncertainty, the dynamics of Greek-Turkish relations…
Kimberly Guilfoyle, President Trump’s appointee as US Ambassador to Greece, arrives in Athens this weekend to assume her post. Her first week includes credential presentation, energy summit participation, and a unique welcome event hosted by Greek singer Konstantinos Argyros.
From Brussels, Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis delivered a firm message to Ankara: “As long as Turkey maintains its casus belli against Greece and questions the sovereignty of Aegean islands, it cannot join the EU’s SAFE defence programme.” Speaking after the EU Summit, he also announced upcoming housing measures, including a rent-refund scheme launching in late November, and called for a realistic energy transition that protects industry and households.
Athens proposes a 5×5 dialogue forum with Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, Turkey, and Libya to address maritime zones, migration, and more, amid tensions with Ankara. Turkey’s Hakan Fidan accuses Greece of “anti-Turkish sentiment,” while Athens reaffirms its commitment to international law and regional stability.
A U.S. State Department report highlights the lack of consensus on the extent of Greek airspace, complicating assessments of Turkish violations since 2017.
A planned meeting between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in New York was canceled after Athens publicized it, violating an agreement. The leaders were set to meet at the UN General Assembly, but Turkey scrapped the talks, citing the premature leak.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan used his UN General Assembly speech to call for recognition of the Turkish-occupied north of Cyprus and to denounce what he described as “genocide” in Gaza, accusing Israel of targeting civilians under the guise of Hamas.
Tensions between Greece and Turkey have flared anew in the Aegean as Ankara escalates its revisionist claims, challenging Greece’s maritime rights and demanding the demilitarization of Greek islands from Thasos to Kastellorizo. Turkey’s issuance of a navtex for Piri Reis surveys, coupled with Greece’s surprise military exercise, has heightened friction ahead of a potential Mitsotakis-Erdoğan meeting at the UN. Athens, unwavering, insists on its rights under international law, while parallel talks with Libya on maritime zones signal Greece’s broader diplomatic push.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are expected to meet…
Late Tuesday night, tensions erupted in the Thracian Sea as Greek fishermen confronted Turkish vessels fishing just 4-6 miles from Samothrace’s coast. The Greek crews, protesting the encroachment, faced insults, threats, and warning shots fired into the air by Turkish fishermen. “This situation cannot continue,” said Yiannis Manios, president of the Kavala Gri-Gri Association, as the Greek boats returned to Keramoti, staging a work stoppage to demand action.
Turkey’s Supreme Court of Appeals (Yargıtay) has overturned a landmark ruling that would have returned…
Kimberly Guilfoyle, soon to be U.S. Ambassador to Greece, addressed concerns about Turkish provocations and F-35 transfers during her Senate hearing, highlighting bipartisan support for Greek-American relations and Greece’s strong NATO contributions.
Kimberly Guilfoyle, President Trump’s nominee for US ambassador to Greece, was confirmed by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. She highlighted Greece’s strategic role, defense investments, and the Greece-Israel-Cyprus partnership during her testimony.
A maritime dispute has resurfaced in the northern Aegean Sea after Turkey issued a counter-NAVTEX in response to Greek scientific research conducted by the vessel *FILIA* between Lemnos and Samothrace. Ankara claims part of the area falls within its continental shelf, reigniting longstanding tensions over maritime jurisdiction between the two neighbors.
Former Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannis Valinakis has accused the Greek government of a “double retreat” in Greek-Turkish relations over Aegean marine parks. In a social media post, he criticized Athens for revising plans that initially included Dodecanese islands—disputed as “grey zones” by Turkey—and extended beyond six nautical miles, claiming the new limits concede to Turkish objections.
Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias has warned that the EU’s proposed SAFE regulation could serve as a “backdoor” for third countries—particularly Turkey—to access European defense initiatives without consensus from all member states. Citing security concerns and Ankara’s ongoing threats toward Greece, Dendias urged the EU to maintain unity and uphold shared principles in its defense policy.
Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on the sidelines of the NATO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Antalya, discussing defence spending, support for Ukraine, and NATO-EU cooperation. A follow-up meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is set for Thursday, with a focus on advancing Greek-Turkish dialogue and planning the next High-Level Cooperation Council.
Tourism between Turkey and Greece is on track to hit new highs this year, with…
The European Parliament has halted Turkey’s EU membership bid, citing a deepening democratic crisis and violations of Greek and Cypriot sovereignty. The report, adopted on May 7, 2025, condemns Turkey’s judicial interference, the arrest of Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, and ongoing threats like the “Blue Homeland” doctrine. While praising Turkey’s refugee efforts, the EP urges respect for international law and a shift toward a strategic EU partnership.
Petros Molyviatis, former Greek Foreign Minister, died on May 4, 2025, at 97. A key figure in Greek-Turkish relations, the Cyprus issue, and Greece’s EU journey, he served three terms as Foreign Minister and shaped diplomacy under Constantine Karamanlis, leaving a lasting legacy.
Thomas Niles, US Ambassador to Greece from 1993-1997, died at 85 from cancer, his brother announced. During his tenure, Niles managed the 1996 Imia crisis, a Greek-Turkish dispute over Aegean islets that risked escalation. He later criticized the US’s neutral stance, despite knowing Greece’s stronger legal position, for worsening tensions.
Despina Achladioti, known as the Lady of Ro, raised the Greek flag every day for over 40 years on the remote islet of Ro, near Turkey, from the 1920s until her death in 1982. Living alone after her husband’s passing, her defiant act, sparked by removing a Turkish flag in 1927, symbolized Greek resilience through war and tensions. Honored by the Greek Navy and buried with military honors, her legacy endures as soldiers continue her flag-raising tradition.
