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Cyprus is once again making headline news as Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides becomes the first leader in the region to appoint a special representative - Ambassador Thessalia Salina Shambos - for religious freedoms and the protection of minorities in the Middle East. The move, welcomed in Washington, comes as new concerns about religious and ethnic minorities are emerging in the wake of...

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Athens and Nicosia are putting the spotlight on reports that Turkey and Syria could potentially reach a deal to delimit their maritime zones in a way that would promote Turkey’s “Blue Homeland” doctrine, and disregard the rights of neighboring states like Cyprus. Such a move would raise the specter of legal and political tensions reminiscent of the illegal Turkey-Libya memorandum. Vassilis...

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For many, it seems Turkey’s Erdogan is coming out as the big winner in Syria. But looking beyond the Middle East, it seems Ankara is also emerging as a winner in another arena - in the Horn of Africa. Its recent role in mediating a deal between Ethiopia and Somalia demonstrates Ankara’s growing assertiveness on the world stage, and is a clear message to Egypt and even Washington. Mariam Wahba,...

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The upheavals across the Middle East over the past year and a half - with the collapse of Assad’s regime in Syria taking center stage now - mean that the incoming Trump administration has a new chance to reshape the region. This raises important questions for Greece, which sits at the crossroads between Europe and the Middle East, and is at the heart of a number of regional initiatives. Endy...

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While the collapse of the Assad regime was celebrated across Syria, the uncertainty about what comes next has many holding their breath. This is especially true for the country’s minorities, particularly its dwindling Christian community. As Syria’s Christians wait to see what will emerge, Syria’s Kurds, another key minority in the country, are also under threat. Nadine Maenza joins Thanos...

10 λεπτά

Greece’s parliament has just approved the 2025 budget, with Prime Minister Mitsotakis highlighting measures designed to help mostly lower income households in the face of rising costs. This also includes measures that relate to Greece’s banking sector which have received a lot of media attention. Nick Malkoutzis, the co-founder and editor of Macropolis.gr, a political and economic analysis site...

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The fall of the Assad regime has put the migration issue back in the limelight in Europe, with a number of European countries, including Greece, announcing they were freezing asylum applications for Syrians or suggesting it’s time they prepare to return home. Many are pointing out that these reactions seem premature, however, as Syria’s future remains uncertain, and many Syrian refugees have...

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In Greece abandoned "ghost" towns and villages scattered across the countryside provide a glimpse into the country’s broader demographic challenge, which Prime Minister Mitsotakis has warned is "existential". The government is now working to reverse worrying trends that could leave Greece’s population older and smaller as it looks to also continue rebuilding the economy following the financial...

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Record breaking heat-waves, limited rainfall, and a spike in tourism have many in Greece concerned about the availability of water. This is something we’ve heard experts talk about with regards to Athens. In Greece’s Cycladic islands, however, which see millions of visitors every summer, this problem seems even more pronounced. Alexia Kalaitzi, an award-winning journalist and features reporter...

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With the speed at which developments in Syria are unfolding after the fall of the Assad regime, dynamics in the country and the region are in flux. One question many are asking, however, is whether a decade or so of backing elements of Syria’s armed opposition is now about to pay off for Turkey and President Erdogan. Henri Barkey, an adjunct senior fellow for Middle East studies at the Council...

12 λεπτά

The news that Cyprus is eyeing a future in NATO has made headlines recently, with many arguing such a step could be transformative for Cyprus and the region. The story of Cyprus and NATO, however, is not new, but goes back to the creation of an independent Cyprus and a 1959 "gentleman's agreement". Evanthis Hatzivassiliou, a professor at the Department of History and Archaeology of the...

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With the incoming Trump administration preparing to take office in over a month, countries like Greece and Turkey are trying to work out what this will mean for the region and their ties to Washington. Ryan Gingeras, a professor in the Department of National Security Affairs at the Naval Postgraduate School and an expert on Turkish, Balkan, and Middle East history, joins Thanos Davelis to look...

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Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is expected to visit Lebanon in the coming days, an important diplomatic move that underscores Greece’s commitment to fostering stability and security in the region. It would also make Mitsotakis the first EU leader - as Kathimerini notes - to visit Lebanon since a ceasefire was reached between Israel and Hezbollah. Steven Howard, the Director of Policy and...

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While Greece and Turkey’s foreign ministers are working to lay the groundwork for a key summit between Prime Minister Mitsotakis and President Erdogan early next year, there are growing concerns that progress in resolving differences in the Aegean Sea is proving all but impossible. Tom Ellis, the editor in chief of Kathimerini’s English Edition, joins Thanos Davelis for a look at the ongoing...

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Ex-German chancellor Angela Merkel’s memoir was recently released, and many are racing to see what she has chosen to reveal about key moments and players from Europe’s recent past - from the financial crisis to migration and the pandemic. Naturally, Greece is at the heart of a number of these developments. Xenia Kounalaki, a journalist, columnist, and foreign editor at Kathimerini, joins Thanos...

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In a lightning offensive Syrian rebels seized Aleppo and are threatening other regime-held territories in the country. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s closest allies, Russia and Iran, pledged unconditional support to his government on Monday, while a number of other countries invested in Syria - including Turkey, Israel and the US - are watching developments closely. Steven Cook, the Eni...

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Developments over the past few months in Greece have seen SYRIZA lose its position as the main opposition in parliament to PASOK in the wake of leadership elections in both parties, the creation of a new political party on the left, and the ouster of a former prime minister from New Democracy. At the same time, the ripple effects of the US election are also being felt in Greek politics - as in...

12 λεπτά

The launch of a strategic dialogue between Cyprus and the US last month was quickly followed up by another historic development: President Christodoulides’ visit to the White House. With US-Cyprus ties deepening at a rapid pace, this was a chance for Christodoulides to present his strategic vision for Cyprus, including, as reports indicate, the potential future integration of Cyprus into NATO....

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Earlier this month we saw a mini crisis break out in the southern Aegean as Turkey deployed four frigates near the Greek islands of Kasos and Karpathos thinking that an Italian ship - which had been at the center of a 40-hour crisis last July - was in the area conducting research for the future deployment of underwater cables linking Greece and Cyprus. While this was ultimately a...

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This week Greece saw workers in the public and the private sector go on strike, demanding better wages in the face of rising costs across the board. This comes despite Greece’s economic success story, whether it's achieving investment grade or outperforming its Eurozone partners, and as the government announced it is set to make another early repayment of €5 billion of bailout-era loans. Nikos...

11 λεπτά