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This week Western Balkan leaders will travel to Brussels for a high-level meeting with EU leaders where they will discuss progress on their integration with the EU and the challenges posed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The meeting comes as the debate over EU enlargement picks up again, which has seen calls from key European leaders for the EU to live up to its promises to the Western Balkans...

13 λεπτά

Last week Greece’s Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos and his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar held a brief one-on-one meeting in Brussels. The meeting came amid escalating aggressive rhetoric from Ankara that has taken tensions between Greece and Turkey to dangerous levels. Vassilis Nedos, Kathimerini’s diplomatic and defense editor, joins Thanos Davelis with the latest analysis on last...

11 λεπτά

Greece has stepped up efforts to combat wildfires in the wake of last year’s devastating blazes as the country braces itself for another scorching summer. As Christos Stylianides, Greece’s first minister for climate crisis and civil protection, laid out in a recent interview with the Financial Times, Athens is hiring more specialized firefighters and planes, increasing spending, and piloting an...

9 λεπτά

A climate of mistrust toward Turkey, which has been prominent in the halls of Congress, has now spread and taken hold across Washington, DC. This is particularly notable following Ankara’s veto over Sweden and Finland’s NATO membership bid, its decision to launch a new incursion into Syria, its relations with Russia, and its dangerous escalation of tensions with Greece. Lena Argiri, the DC...

10 λεπτά

While Russian-Turkish dealings in a number of conflict hotspots in the Middle East, the Black Sea and the Caucasus have attracted international attention, reactions to Ankara and Moscow’s collaboration when it comes to nuclear energy have been rather muted. Professor Ioannis Grigoriadis joins Thanos Davelis to look into the nuclear plant Russia and Turkey are building at Akkuyu, discuss its...

16 λεπτά

In its quest for strategic autonomy, Turkey is pursuing a radical revision of the regional status quo by projecting power in the region with increasing aggression and disregard for international law. Admiral Alexandros Diakopoulos, the former National Security Advisor for the Greek Prime Minister, joins Thanos Davelis to look at Ankara’s pursuit of strategic autonomy and hegemony of the Eastern...

15 λεπτά

Erdogan warned that he was “not joking” on Thursday about his demand for Greece to demilitarize its Aegean islands, and Foreign Minister Cavusoglu has warned Greece to demilitarize or face a debate about the island’s sovereignty. Greece has effectively rebuked Turkey’s claims, but Ankara continues to escalate its rhetoric. Professor Petros Liakouras joins Thanos Davelis to break down why Turkey...

15 λεπτά

The war in Ukraine – one of the world’s biggest exporters of grain – is fuelling food shortages around the world and pushing millions of people into famine, raising fears of new waves of refugees toward southern Europe. The EU’s Mediterranean countries, which would be on the frontlines once again, are on alert, and have called on the EU to act with urgency on this issue and take steps to show...

15 λεπτά

In late May, Turkish President Erdogan announced that Turkey plans to launch another operation into northern Syria. Turkish artillery fire in the region has been registered since early June, while Russia has intensified military patrols in the parts of northern Syria it controls. Both the US and Russia have called on Turkey not to launch this new military operation in the region. Ambassador...

11 λεπτά

Cyprus is lodging a complaint to the UN over Turkey’s new financial assistance deal with Turkish Cypriots and over Turkey’s decision to designate the Turkish Cypriots’ unrecognized main airport as a domestic flight route, effectively turning it into a Turkish one. There is a fear among Turkish Cypriots as well that both the financial deal and the airport designation are the clearest signals yet...

10 λεπτά

Since its inception, the Turkish government has used the Grey Wolves, a Turkish ultranationalist organization, to target Kurds and other minorities both within Turkey and abroad. Diliman Abdulkader, the Co-Founder and Director of American Friends of Kurdistan, joins Thanos Davelis to discuss his latest publication on the Grey Wolves, which highlights their links to past and present Turkish...

14 λεπτά

With Turkey escalating its provocations against Greece in the Aegean, we saw Germany once again - at least initially - call on “both sides” to reduce tensions. Following a reaction in Athens at this perceived neutrality, Germany’s government firmed up its stance and called Turkey’s overflights above Greek islands unacceptable. Xenia Kounalaki, a journalist and the foreign editor at Kathimerini,...

10 λεπτά

Turkish revisionism in the Aegean is on full display these past weeks, with Ankara even questioning the sovereignty of large Greek islands. This isn’t a new story, however, as Turkey has been trying to turn the Aegean Sea into a disputed area for 50 years, raising new claims that attempt to undermine Greece‘s sovereign rights. As a result of these latest escalations, Athens is taking a number...

11 λεπτά

Over the last weeks Turkey has decided to block Sweden and Finland’s bids to join the NATO alliance, Ankara has escalated its provocations and threats against Greece in the Aegean, and Turkish President Erdogan is now threatening a new incursion into northern Syria. Dr. Lisel Hintz joins Thanos Davelis to look at these foreign policy decisions and break down how they also intersect with...

16 λεπτά

We’ve had over a week to reflect on Prime Minister Mitsotakis’s visit to Washington, DC, a visit that showcased Greece’s enhanced role as one of Washington’s closest allies. This visit also came at a time when solidarity within NATO has become of the utmost importance. Unfortunately, that solidarity is being tested in the Aegean, where Turkish provocations have escalated tensions. Dr. Jake...

14 λεπτά

This week the EU Commission proposed to extend a moratorium on EU fiscal rules until the end of 2023, but warned that this "does not mean a free for all," stressing it will not allow for any fiscal excesses. Especially for over indebted countries, such as Greece, the monitoring of expenditures will be stricter. This decision came as the Commission recommended Greece’s exit from its strict...

11 λεπτά

Last week in Washington, DC Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis seized the opportunity to present Greece as more than a “pillar of stability” and a “reliable ally,” drawing a direct line between core American values and interests and fundamental Hellenic national issues. Endy Zemenides, HALC’s Executive Director, joins Thanos Davelis to look at why, after last week, Greece is now a...

11 λεπτά

On Monday Turkey’s President Erdogan vowed never to meet with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis again, saying Mitsotakis "no longer exists" for him. Erdogan accused Mitsotakis of deliberately antagonizing Turkey when he addressed Congress last week in Washington, DC, and has called off talks between the countries. His latest statements have raised fears of renewed tensions heading into...

11 λεπτά

Greece, as Prime Minister Mitsotakis made clear in the US last week, has taken a clear and decidedly pro-Western policy after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, offering not only humanitarian aid but also arms to Ukraine. Recent polls, however, show that everyday Greeks remain wary of this position, viewing both the US and Russia with skepticism. John Psaropoulos, an independent journalist based in...

17 λεπτά

At the White House this week, Prime Minister Mitsotakis announced that Greece will move forward with its bid to acquire the F-35 stealth fighter jet after 2028. He also added that Lockheed Martin had expressed an interest in investing in Greece’s aerospace industry. Vassilis Nedos, Kathimerini’s diplomatic and defense editor, joins Thanos Davelis to break down the next steps for Greece in...

12 λεπτά