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The Ecumenical Patriarchate is currently being squeezed by Turkey and Russia, both of which see the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians as an extension of Western influence that threatens their respective political ambitions. Dr. Aykan Erdemir and John Lechner join the Greek Current to talk about Russia’s campaign of disinformation against Patriarch Bartholomew, why Turkey’s...

15 λεπτά

Earlier this year Greek Olympic gold medalist Sofia Bekatorou came forward and testified that she was sexually assaulted as a 21-year-old in 1998 by a sports official. Since then, the #MeToo movement sweeping through Greece has seen a wave of victims come forward and tell their story. Meanwhile, recent allegations against the National Theatre director have also resulted in an unfolding...

14 λεπτά

The HDP, the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party, is facing renewed pressure in Turkey amid rising calls for its closure by nationalist politicians in Ankara. HDP members are being increasingly targeted after the deaths of 13 Turkish hostages in Iraqi Kurdistan earlier this month following a botched rescue operation. Merve Tahiroglu, the Turkey Program Coordinator at the Project on Middle...

18 λεπτά

Turkish President Erdogan has dominated Turkish politics for nearly two decades, consolidating power and seeking to become a second Ataturk. While Erdogan may see himself as larger than life, expert Michael Rubin draws on historical precedents to make the case in his piece “Where Will Erdoğan be Buried?” that the true measure of how Turks view him will become apparent only after his death....

11 λεπτά

The Hellenic Navy is currently evaluating proposals for the supply of new frigates by France, the United States, the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Italy. This is part of Greece’s latest effort to upgrade and modernize its armed forces and its navy amid tensions with Turkey. Greece is also deepening its strategic and defense cooperation with Israel, while Foreign Minister...

16 λεπτά

Greece's Anna Diamantopoulou is one of four candidates left in the race to become the next head of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). If her candidacy is successful, then she would be the first woman to lead the OECD, one of the world’s most influential multilateral organizations. Anna Diamantopoulou joins The Greek Current to discuss the importance of the OECD...

13 λεπτά

A recent New York Times article titled “In Turkey’s Safe Zone in Syria, Security and Misery Go Hand in Hand” has been called out by a number of experts who say it whitewashes Turkey’s occupation of Afrin in Syria and the removal of Syrian Kurds from the area. Expert David Phillips joins The Greek Current to explain why this report is so problematic, and to give us a picture of the situation on...

15 λεπτά

Greece's Minister of Development and Investment, Adonis Georgiadis, discusses investments in Greece's infrastructure, and looks at the important role that the US is playing through the International Development Finance Corporation (DFC). We look at key investments in Greece’s ports and shipyards like Alexandroupoli and Elefsis, in the energy sector, and also explore key investments from US...

10 λεπτά

US-Turkey tensions flared following the death of 13 Turkish soldiers, police, and civilians who perished during a Turkish offensive against PKK Kurdish militants in Iraqi Kurdistan. Turkish President Erdogan slammed the US State Department’s initial condemnation of the deaths before Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivered a swift clarification during his call with Foreign Minister Cavusoglu...

13 λεπτά

On Monday Greece’s Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held their first official call - which comes as relations between the two countries are at their highest level in recent memory - and looked at how to further enhance the strategic cooperation between Greece and the United States. They also covered the latest developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and...

14 λεπτά

Earlier this week China’s president chaired a long-delayed 17+1 summit with Central and Eastern European countries, including Greece, amid division in the region over how to view Beijing's growing influence. A number of countries are increasingly sensitive to tensions between the US and China, and to concerns that the 17+1 is being used to divide European Union policy on China. Journalist Reid...

15 λεπτά

President Biden's pledge to put democracy and human rights at the center of American foreign policy is facing an early test from an increasingly authoritarian Turkey. In a recent op-ed, expert Merve Tahiroglu, makes the case that the Biden administration has an immediate opportunity to make good on this pledge, not only to advance American interests and human rights, but also to protect U.S....

16 λεπτά

This week Turkey signaled that it could give ground on the S-400 missiles it purchased from Russia, with Defense Minister Hulusi Akar suggesting Turkey could adopt the so-called “Crete Model'' - which was used to solve a dispute between Greece, Cyprus, and Turkey in the 1990s over S-300s Nicosia had purchased - to deal with this issue. Expert Aaron Stein, joins our podcast to discuss why this...

17 λεπτά

Expert Daniel Vajdich joins us on the Greek Current today to explore the work that the US International Development Finance Corporation - or the DFC - is doing in Greece and the Western Balkans to promote development and advance strategic US foreign policy priorities through its financing tools. We also look at how the DFC is an important economic tool that can counter efforts by China and...

16 λεπτά

There’s been a flurry of diplomatic activity in the Eastern Mediterranean over the last month and a half, with exploratory talks between Athens and Ankara kicking off, the UN Secretary General calling for the resumption of talks on the Cyprus problem, and Greece signing key strategic agreements with countries like France and Israel. In view of these, developments, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos...

14 λεπτά

William Antholis joins The Greek Current podcast to discuss a broad range of topics from his latest interview with Kathimerini, including the “post-populist” moment the US is going through and the lessons it can learn from Greece’s experience with populism, the US-China relationship and China’s foothold in the Mediterranean with its investment in the port of Piraeus, and the Biden...

19 λεπτά

Harry Mark Petrakis, one of the Greek-American community’s greatest and most beloved authors, passed away at the age of 97 on February 2nd. Petrakis was a major figure in 20th century Chicago literature, and was at the forefront of a movement in which America claimed its identity through its ethnic writers. His focus on the experiences of Greek immigrants in Chicago established him as the...

16 λεπτά

The Islamic State terror group was largely defeated through a coordinated international effort almost two years ago. A recent unclassified report by the US Treasury Department, however, points out that its networks appear to still have access to an estimated $100 million in cash reserves, adding that the Islamic State’s remnants in Syria continue to receive streams of cash from “logistical...

15 λεπτά

Eleftheria Kourtali, a journalist with Kathimerini, joins us to discuss the significance of the European Central Bank’s emergency bond-buying program (PEPP) - which has been one of the main buffers for the Greek economy during this crisis - and looks at what life will be like for Greece after the emergency bond-buying program comes to an end. Eleftheria Kourtali also breaks down how Greece’s...

11 λεπτά

Manfred Weber, the leader of the European People's Party group in the European Parliament and a Member of the European Parliament since 2004, joins The Greek Current to discuss the EU-Turkey relationship and where it is heading, his view on the talks between Greece and Turkey and the need for Ankara to take concrete steps to show it is serious about conflict resolution, and more. We need...

13 λεπτά