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Turkish President Erdogan and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar on Tuesday announced plans to reopen Varosha, part of the fenced off city of Famagusta in the occupied north of Cyprus. The move is in violation of UN Security Council resolutions, which call for Varosha to be handed over to UN administration, and to allow the original inhabitants to return to their homes. Cypriot President Nicos...

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This past Thursday marked the 5 year anniversary from the failed coup attempt that took place in Turkey which has since reshaped the country. The Erdogan government has used the failed coup to reshape the country's policies, institutions, political landscape and foreign posture, cracking down on dissidents both in Turkey and abroad. David Lepeska joins The Greek Current to discuss his latest...

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As the United States looks to navigate relations with Turkey, the lack of a clear destination for the relationship will result in a good deal of unpredictability and some level of instability in regions such as the Eastern Mediterranean. In his latest piece in Kathimerini, Endy Zemenides makes the case that this lack of predictability will pose a particular problem for Cyprus, where the United...

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Faced with a surge in coronavirus infections, Greece on Friday announced new rules for open air entertainment venues such as bars and nightclubs stipulating that customers must hold proof that they have been vaccinated or recovered from Covid-19. The new rules are designed to give more freedom to people who have been vaccinated against Covid-19 and encourage others to get vaccinated as the...

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Turkey’s President Erdogan called Israel's new president, Isaac Herzog, on Monday to congratulate him on taking office. The call came amid strained relations between the two countries who expelled their ambassadors in 2018 after a bitter falling-out. Both sides emphasized the importance of Israeli-Turkish ties, but said the other must move first for any rapprochement. Dr. Michael Koplow joins...

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The kickoff of the Tokyo Olympic games is around the corner, and will take place amid high COVID infections and worry from the Japanese public and the medical establishment there. There are also concerns about the increasing cost of hosting the games. Given these challenges, could it be time to consider giving the Olympics a permanent home in Greece, rather than rotating the games to a...

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The first of six German-designed submarines destined for Turkey is scheduled to join the Turkish fleet next year. Five other subs are on the way over the next few years in a deal worth about $4 billion. Meanwhile, after a year of heightened tensions in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean as a result of Turkish provocations, Greece is warning that this deal comes at a dangerous time. It...

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Turkey’s President Erdogan is planning to visit the occupied northern part of Cyprus on July 20th, the anniversary of Turkey’s invasion of Cyprus in 1974, where events are expected to focus on the fenced-off town of Varosha. Turkey is planning major infrastructure developments in occupied Varosha, which is in direct contravention of multiple UN Security Council resolutions. The UN Secretary...

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Lebanon is struggling with severe electricity and water shortages after two of the country’s main power plants ran out of fuel. This is only the latest manifestation of a financial and political crisis that shows little sign of ending. Lebanon’s government is bankrupt, has defaulted on its international debt, and has failed to take the measures required to clinch international support. Later in...

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David Harris, the CEO of the American Jewish Committee (AJC), who is in Greece to meet with Greek political leaders and attend The Economist conference, joins the Greek Current to talk about his latest interview with Kathimerini’s Tom Ellis, where they explored topics including regional cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean, the US-Greece Defense and Interparliamentary Partnership Act -...

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A recent US government publication of restricted cultural property imports originating in Turkey - at Ankara’s request - has caused a number of reactions from experts. While illicit trafficking in antiquities is a serious problem, some specialists are concerned that Turkey could use this new agreement to further marginalize indigenous ethnic and religious minorities within Turkey, such as...

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During the municipal elections in 2019, Turkey watchers were keeping a close eye on the Istanbul race, where Ekrem Imamoglu defeated Erdogan’s handpicked candidate twice. In the same election, Erdogan’s candidate also lost in Ankara, where Mansur Yavas won the election, and his popularity has been rising. Nikos Efstathiou, a journalist with Kathimerini, recently profiled Ankara’s mayor. Nikos...

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In the first sign of any real movement on the migration issue in the EU in the past five years, member states reached a deal this week to strengthen the EU’s asylum agency. European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas said the agreement is a “first important foundation” in the effort to build an effective European-wide asylum system. Expert Angeliki Dimitriadi joins The Greek Current...

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During the early stages of the Euro 2020 soccer championship in June, aside from the games on the pitch, we also saw political issues emerge. One of those was related to the Prespes agreement, and we saw the North Macedonia national soccer team’s use of the name “Macedonia”. Prime Minister Zaev also ended up apologizing for a tweet where he used the term “Macedonia.” These moves sparked a...

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EU governments gave Albania and North Macedonia - whose bid to join the EU is tied together - the green light to begin accession talks more than a year ago, but the process has officially stalled. One reason is that Bulgaria has put a hold on any talks with North Macedonia, which is preventing the process from moving forward. At the same time, Albania still needs to undertake more reforms to...

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For the first time since 2015, Greece was invited to participate in the informal meeting on Syria that took place on the sidelines of the Ministerial Meeting of the Global Coalition Against Daesh - or the Islamic State - in Rome. Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, who participated, stated this was a significant step which marks the return of Greece to crucial discussions on developments in the...

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The Greek government announced it will offer a pre-paid card with 150 euros to young people aged 18-25 to get at least one shot of a vaccine against Covid-19, as part of an incentive to increase the number of vaccinations in the country. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called the card a “freedom pass”. The move comes as the government is hoping to fully reopen its economy after recently...

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During the peak of the financial crisis, Greek banks were weighed down by over 100 billion euros of non-performing loans. Since then, a new set of tools has emerged to help manage this bad debt, and a large amount has been transferred from the banks to other entities. While this has improved the overall outlook for Greece’s banks, the problem of bad debt remains. In her latest report for...

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EU leaders travelled to Brussels today for a two day summit, with the agenda formally focusing on relations with Turkey and Russia, migration, and COVID-related travel rules. There was also growing anger over an anti-LGBTQ+ law passed by Hungary’s parliament, and 17 EU leaders, including Prime Minister Mitsotakis and President Anastasiades, signed a letter prior to the summit vowing to fight...

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Turkey is seeking to play a vital role in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of US forces by offering to provide security to Kabul's international airport, and has been holding talks with the US on logistic and financial support for the mission. Jake Sullivan, President Biden’s national security adviser, said last week that the US and Turkey had agreed to a plan for the Turks to continue...

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