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Less than a year after securing another term, Turkish President Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party suffered its worst defeat in its 22-year history in Sunday’s municipal elections. All eyes were on Istanbul, where Ekrem Imamoglu easily won reelection and is increasingly cementing his place as Erdogan’s political challenger. Amberin Zaman, Al-Monitor’s chief correspondent covering major...

15 λεπτά

On Friday US and Turkish officials confirmed that Turkey’s President Erdogan will visit the White House on May 9th, a move that has been described as an apparent quid pro quo for Ankara’s decision to finally green-light Sweden’s NATO membership. Alan Makovsky, veteran Turkey analyst and senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, joins Thanos Davelis to examine how Erdogan finally...

12 λεπτά

Can a small antique table give us insight into the history of an entire city and its broader connections to the region? A recent quest for such an antique sent Sean Mathews, a journalist based in Greece and covering the broader Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East, on a trip to Thessaloniki that quickly revealed just how multi-layered and cosmopolitan the city’s past is, with rich connections...

13 λεπτά

A few weeks ago Greece passed a law allowing the operation of private, non-profit universities, including allowing foreign private universities to set up branches in the country. The move came despite weeks of demonstrations that included scores of university building occupations by students. Despite this, opinion polls indicate that most Greeks agree with the creation of privately-run...

12 λεπτά

Earlier this year Kathimerini organized a three-day conference looking back at the 50 years since the restoration of democracy in Greece in 1974, or the Metapolitefsi. We saw a gathering of some of the most influential people of this period, including former prime ministers, who discussed in depth the numerous crises the country has gone through during the past 50 years and many of its...

12 λεπτά

As we celebrate Greek independence day today, March 25th, we’re going to take a deeper look at one of the crucial figures of the Greek Revolution of 1821, Lord Byron. Aside from his status as a world renowned poet at the time, he is also perhaps the most famous philhellene to travel to Greece and ultimately give his life for Greek independence in 1824, 200 years ago. Professor Roderick Beaton,...

11 λεπτά

This past week Washington’s attention has been on Cyprus and the humanitarian corridor from Gaza, from President Biden’s letter thanking President Christodoulides, to the National Security Council’s chief of staff visiting Cyprus. Cyprus is also going to be a central theme for diaspora Greeks as celebrations for Greek independence day kick off on March 25th. Endy Zemenides, the Executive...

11 λεπτά

With Ukraine facing a resurgent Russia, NATO leaders have been clear that they do not and “will never recognize Russia’s illegal and illegitimate annexations, including Crimea.” While Western leaders speak clearly when it comes to Ukraine, their uncompromising positions are unfortunately undermined when NATO remains largely silent over the precedent for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: Turkey’s...

9 λεπτά

In a speech on Monday Turkey’s President Erdogan not only defended the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, but went even further, stating that if Turkish troops hadn’t stopped then all of Cyprus would be Turkish today. His comments come as a new UN special envoy is looking for ways to restart talks on Cyprus and amid efforts by Athens and Ankara to normalize ties. They also come on the heels of...

10 λεπτά

As in the past, the upcoming municipal elections in Turkey are playing a key role in shaping the country's economic policies. While time and resources have been wasted due to Erdogan’s political priorities, soaring inflation - which surpassed 67% earlier this year - and the cost of living crisis has made daily life increasingly difficult for most citizens. Wolfango Piccoli, the co-founder of...

10 λεπτά

The rise of the far right nationalist party Greek Solution is attracting the interest of many who follow Greek politics, especially due to its approach to issues like Athens’ support for Ukraine. If Greek Solution’s growing appeal in the opinion polls continues ahead of European elections in June, it could even end up in third place. Tom Ellis, the editor in chief of Kathimerini’s English...

12 λεπτά

In 2019 the municipal elections in Turkey garnered widespread attention both inside and outside the country, especially with Turkish President Erdogan’s handpicked AKP candidates losing Istanbul and Ankara. Erdogan is now intent on winning both back. Ayla Jean Yackley, an Istanbul-based journalist covering Turkey with stories in The Financial Times, Politico, and other major outlets, joins...

12 λεπτά

How critical was the US role during the Greek debt crisis, and how does it fit into then President Barack Obama’s wider approach to US foreign policy, especially at a time when the US was looking to pivot to Asia? Katerina Sokou, who holds the research fellowship at ELIAMEP on “Greek-American Relations” and who covered the Greek crisis from Washington, DC as a correspondent for Kathimerini,...

15 λεπτά

Egypt is set to receive a €7.4 billion aid package to not only shore up the country’s economy, but also curb migration. The move comes amid fears that the conflicts in Gaza and Sudan risk exacerbating financial troubles in the country while raising concerns of new waves of immigration to Europe. There are concerns that Crete, which is already seeing a spike in arrivals from north Africa, could...

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The European Commission is set to recommend that the EU open accession talks with Bosnia and Herzegovina, despite lingering ethnic divisions in the Western Balkan country. This comes after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed that it’s “not enough to just wait for the Western Balkans to move closer” to the EU. At the same time, US Special Representative to the Western...

11 λεπτά

We’ve just seen consecutive visits to the US by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, with both officials discussing a series of issues - from the wars in Gaza and Ukraine to trade and investments - with the White House, the State Department and Congress. This has many wondering if we are seeing a “new momentum” in US-Turkey ties in the wake of the Sweden...

13 λεπτά

On Friday the US, EU, Cyprus, and other countries involved formally announced their backing for a sea aid corridor to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza, built around a proposal developed by Cyprus last year. The move follows President Biden’s announcement in the State of the Union of a plan for the US military to establish a temporary port on the coast of Gaza to significantly widen the flow of...

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On Wednesday international headlines all focused on the Russian ballistic missile that struck a few hundred meters from where Greece’s Prime Minister Mitsotakis was meeting with Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy in Odesa. Ambassador Spiros Lambridis, Greece’s special envoy for Ukraine, joins Thanos Davelis to discuss this incident and look at the broader significance of Prime Minister Mitsotakis’...

15 λεπτά

This week an Albanian court sentenced Fredi Beleri, the imprisoned mayor-elect of Himare, to 2 years in prison. Beleri slammed the trial and the court’s decision as a “sham”. This case is about much more than one individual, however, touching on deeper issues in Greek-Albanian relations. Vassilis Nedos, Kathimerini’s diplomatic and defense editor, joins Thanos Davelis to discuss this latest...

12 λεπτά

When China’s Belt and Road Initiative was formally launched in 2013, it was touted as a world-spanning push to replicate the economic and political impact of the Silk Road. As it made investments across the world - including in the port of Piraeus during the depths of the financial crisis - Western capitals sought to counter Beijing’s growing influence. While it appears that the BRI is in...

12 λεπτά