30 Ιουλ 2024 Foiled terror plot highlights Ankara's enabling of Hamas In an escalation of rhetoric that is raising the temperature in the broader region, the last few days have seen Turkey’s President Erdogan threaten to intervene in Israel on behalf of the Palestinians, noting military interventions Turkey has made in the past in other countries. These statements came about a week after reports that Israel had foiled a major terrorist attack orchestrated from... 15 λεπτά
27 Ιουλ 2024 Greece and Cyprus eyeing key roles at the European level With Ursula von der Leyen securing another term as European Commission President, EU members are now vying for the top positions in the new Commission. In what Politico called a show of his growing political strength, Prime Minister Mitsotakis stressed that Greece must get an important portfolio, one that reflects the country’s economic comeback and strategic position. President Christodoulides... 9 λεπτά
25 Ιουλ 2024 Greeks turn their attention to the Paris Olympics The Paris Olympics opening ceremony on Friday night will see more than 8,000 of the world’s top athletes - led by Greece - sail along the Seine River in a one of a kind spectacle. Aside from the excitement around the opening ceremony, where Greece and Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo will carry the Greek flag, there are also high expectations in Greece for all of its athletes. Nikos... 15 λεπτά
25 Ιουλ 2024 Turkey ramps up tensions in the Aegean This week saw tensions between Greece and Turkey reach levels we have not seen since 2022 in the Aegean as Turkey sent its warships into an area south of the Greek islands of Kassos and Karpathos. The ratcheting up of tensions followed Turkish President Erdogan’s hardline statements on Cyprus this weekend and his calls for Prime Minister Mitsotakis to put Defense Minister Dendias “in his... 11 λεπτά
23 Ιουλ 2024 Armenia rocked by protests over concessions to Azerbaijan and Turkey A few months ago, thousands of Armenians took to the streets in anti-government protests calling on Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to resign. Protesters, led by Archbishop Galstanyan, have blasted Pashinyan for what they see as endless concessions being made to Azerbaijan and Turkey with nothing to show for it in return. Amberin Zaman, Al-Monitor’s chief correspondent covering major... 15 λεπτά
22 Ιουλ 2024 The rise of the Athens Riviera The Athens Riviera - a 60 kilometer shoreline spanning from Piraeus to Sounio - is currently undergoing a major rejuvenation, attracting both local and foreign investors. This transformation includes mega-projects like the Ellinikon at the former Athens airport which is touted as the largest real estate project in Europe and promises to be a “smart” city. Eleni Varvitsioti, the Financial Times... 11 λεπτά
20 Ιουλ 2024 The 50 year occupation of Cyprus and the US failure to call a spade a spade 50 years ago, Turkey launched its invasion of Cyprus. Since then, tens of thousands of Turkish troops have occupied over one third of the island. Unfortunately, the US still fails to use the word “occupation” to describe this ongoing violation of international law in Cyprus. Endy Zemenides, the Executive Director of the Hellenic American Leadership Council, joins Thanos Davelis to look at what... 13 λεπτά
19 Ιουλ 2024 50 years later: Turkey's invasion and occupation of Cyprus remains an open wound On July 20th, 1974, Turkey launched its first invasion of Cyprus. 50 years later, tens of thousands of Turkish troops continue to illegally occupy the northern part of Cyprus, splitting the island in two. Alexis Papachelas, the editor in chief of Kathimerini, joins Thanos Davelis to discuss this dark anniversary, the importance of revisiting this moment in history - whether in Athens, Nicosia,... 13 λεπτά
18 Ιουλ 2024 Greek support for Ukraine, a new military aid deal, and Russian anger Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Greece has stood by Ukraine, a decision that angered Moscow. Athens and Kyiv are now negotiating a 10-year assistance agreement. John Psaropoulos, an independent journalist based in Athens and Al Jazeera’s Southeast Europe correspondent, joins Thanos Davelis to look into the deal Athens is negotiating with Kyiv, break down how... 12 λεπτά
17 Ιουλ 2024 From the Baltic to the Aegean: Discovering coastal ecosystems in Europe The Tara Ocean Foundation has come to be known worldwide as a leader when it comes to promoting the well-being of our oceans, and its ship, the Tara, is currently docked in Greece, wrapping up a scientific expedition to better understand the biodiversity and ecosystems along Europe’s coastlines. Thanos Davelis was able to tour the ship and see its work up close this week in Athens, and is... 10 λεπτά
16 Ιουλ 2024 North Macedonia’s compliance with Prespa in the spotlight (Replay) Last week HALC sounded the alarm over North Macedonia’s adherence to the Prespa Agreement, launching a letter and petition to the State Department urging it to remind Skopje that international agreements are binding - not optional - and that there will be consequences. North Macedonia’s newly elected leaders have repeatedly referred to their country simply as “Macedonia” rather than the... 16 λεπτά
13 Ιουλ 2024 US targets Turkey's nuclear ties to Russia The United States and Turkey are reportedly discussing the possibility of US companies building nuclear reactors in Turkey. This is seen as part of an effort to help Ankara move away from Russia, at the same time as Russia’s state-owned nuclear monopoly, Rosatom, is building a nuclear energy plant in Turkey at Akkuyu. While Washington looks like it is dangling the possibility of cooperation in... 9 λεπτά
12 Ιουλ 2024 From Alexandria to Athens: Discovering Cavafy On a narrow street in the old Greek quarter of Alexandria, the world renowned poet and writer Constantine Cavafy created some of the masterpieces that still inspire people across the world today. As of this past May, this home in Alexandria is now open to the public. Together with the Cavafy Archive in Athens, which is home to over 2,000 digitized manuscripts, with poems and handwritten notes,... 12 λεπτά
11 Ιουλ 2024 Is the Greek summer out of reach for young Greeks? With Greece deep into its tourism season, issues of over-tourism and sustainability have largely dominated the headlines. A recent article in Kathimerini took a slightly different look at tourism, exploring how it impacts young Greeks. With the quintessential Greek summer increasingly out of reach for many in the country as they are priced out of certain locations, many young people end up... 12 λεπτά
10 Ιουλ 2024 The UK elections and the Parthenon Sculptures Last week Keir Starmer led Britain’s center-left Labour Party to a historic win over the Conservative Party. Prior to the elections, in November, Starmer had indicated that if Labour won the general election he would not prevent an agreement for the return of the Parthenon Sculptures. Ioannes Chountis, an adviser in the House of Lords and a council member of the Anglo-Hellenic League, joins... 10 λεπτά
9 Ιουλ 2024 Orban's ties with Putin and Erdogan a cause for concern in Greece, Cyprus, EU and NATO While Hungary’s Victor Orban - who currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU - is bidding to become the dominant hard-right force in the EU, he’s also raising eyebrows on the international level. His latest meeting with Russia’s President Putin and his decision to attend a meeting of the Organisation of Turkic States in Azerbaijan - which included the pseudo-state in the occupied north... 12 λεπτά
5 Ιουλ 2024 Greece and Albania: From the Beleri case to people to people ties The case of Fredi Beleri, the convicted mayor elect of Himare who belongs to Albania’s Greek minority, has heightened tensions between Greece and Albania over the past year. A recent poll exploring Greek attitudes toward bilateral relations and their views on Albanians who have made Greece their home shows that while attitudes toward Albanian immigrants have drastically improved, assessments of... 13 λεπτά
4 Ιουλ 2024 Athens and the dangers of heat Last month was the hottest June ever experienced in Athens, at least since records began over 150 years ago. In fact, eight of the hottest 10 Junes ever recorded in Athens were during the last 20 years and four of those were in the last decade alone. This is having clear consequences for the city and its inhabitants, as rising temperatures and protracted heatwaves, beyond impacting daily life,... 13 λεπτά
3 Ιουλ 2024 Mitsotakis under fire as criticism within the party mounts This week kicked off with two former prime ministers and leaders of New Democracy - Antonis Samaras and Konstantinos Karamanlis - launching maybe the most severe criticism of Prime Minister Mitsotakis and his leadership that we’ve heard so far, touching on foreign and domestic policy. Their criticism comes amid broader political uncertainty among Greece’s leading parties following disappointing... 13 λεπτά
2 Ιουλ 2024 Turkey’s goal in the ongoing Lebanon crisis With the US in the midst of an intense diplomatic push to prevent a war between Israel and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon, Turkey has also waded into the mix. While it’s still unclear what Turkey is looking to achieve should a conflict erupt, it looks like a policy is taking shape, especially after Ankara followed up on Hezbollah’s threats to Cyprus with its own “warning”. Sinan Ciddi joins Thanos... 11 λεπτά