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Journalist Amberin Zaman analyzes Turkey's latest attempts at a diplomatic “reset” with the United States, and discusses what is in store for the US-Turkey relationship as the new Biden administration takes over. We also take a look at Syria, and whether the appointment of Brett McGurk to the National Security Council will cause more friction in US-Turkish relations. Finally, we break down...

17 λεπτά

Alexis Papachelas and Tom Ellis - two people who know America as well as anyone in Greece today - join The Greek Current to discuss the new beginning that President Biden's inauguration signals for the US and the world. We look at the phenomenon of "Trumpism" both in the US and in Greece, social media and its outsized influence, and the Biden administration's approach to Turkey and Greece....

17 λεπτά

Today the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held its hearing for Antony Blinken, who is President elect Biden’s nominee for Secretary of State. Among the key concerns Senators expressed were how the incoming administration plans to deal with Iran, China, and Turkey. Jonathan Schanzer, the senior vice president of research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, joins us to break down the...

14 λεπτά

In the third part of a series exploring Turkish President Erdogan’s geopolitical ambitions, the Financial Times looked into a string of extractions of Turkish citizens from countries in the Balkans. This is part of Turkey's global campaign of kidnappings and transnational repression which we covered in last week’s podcast episode with expert Nate Schenkkan. Today, journalist Valerie Hopkins...

14 λεπτά

Earlier this month President-elect Biden reached out to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, stating that he looks forward to working with the Patriarch, and adding “we need your leadership” in a handwritten letter. Georgia Logothetis, HALC’s Managing Director, joins us to discuss the significance of this letter and of the relationship between President-elect Biden and Ecumenical Patriarch...

10 λεπτά

Today’s Financial Times piece titled “Turkish intrigue in the Balkans” has brought renewed attention to Ankara’s transnational and illegal campaign of extractions and kidnappings of Turkish nationals in other countries. Nate Schenkkan, the Director for Research Strategy at Freedom House, joins us to discuss this campaign by Turkey which he has been monitoring since 2016, and the broader...

16 λεπτά

Kelly Bjorklund joins The Greek Current to discuss her latest piece in Foreign Policy on the trial against Turkey’s Halkbank for helping Iran evade US sanctions and President Trump's repeated attempts to shield Halkbank and Turkey’s President Erdogan from paying any penalty. We also look at her in-depth interview with former Secretary of State Tillerson on his former boss, the state of the...

14 λεπτά

Yannis Palaiologos, Kathimerini’s Brussels correspondent, is back on the Greek Current to break down the latest developments in Europe when it comes to tackling the coronavirus pandemic and its vaccine rollout. This includes Brussels’ fight to maintain solidarity over its pan-EU vaccine plan after evidence emerged of member states breaking away to strike their own side deals with suppliers, and...

12 λεπτά

This weekend Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias discussed a range of issues Greece is looking to tackle in 2021 in an all-inclusive interview with Kathimerini, including the upcoming exploratory talks with Turkey, strengthening ties with neighboring countries in the Western Balkans, extending Greece’s territorial sea on its west coast, and steps to improve US-Greek relations. Vassilis Nedos,...

13 λεπτά

Washington, DC journalist Petros Kasfikis joins our podcast to give us his first hand account of the troubling attack on the US Capitol this past Wednesday. We also look at the other key news and developments coming out of the nation’s capital this week, including President elect Biden’s announcement to appoint Amanda Sloat as Director for Europe at the National Security Council and Victoria...

12 λεπτά

A pro-Donald Trump rally on Wednesday devolved into unrest and insurrection as rioters overwhelmed the Capitol Police and stormed Congress, temporarily shutting down a vote to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s win. The scenes of chaos have left the nation and the world shaken. Wednesday also saw the Democrats take control of the Senate after results in Georgia’s election confirmed the victory...

14 λεπτά

A town in northeast Syria is increasingly becoming a battleground between Turkish-backed groups and US-backed forces amid fears of a new large-scale Turkish offensive. We look at the situation in Syria with Dr. Aykan Erdemir, and also break down President elect Joe Biden's announcement to appoint Brett McGurk to a senior role at the NSC managing the Middle East and North Africa.Dr. Aykan...

13 λεπτά

After a rift that fractured the Arab world and the Middle East for more than three years, Gulf Arab leaders signed an agreement on "solidarity and stability" at a summit on Tuesday aimed at ending an embargo against Qatar. Today’s agreement follows Saudi Arabia’s decision to reopen its borders and airspace to Qatar for the first time since the blockade began. Retired Ambassador Patrick Theros...

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Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced a cabinet reshuffle a few days into the new year and almost two years into his four-year term. Most of the top ministers in key posts remain in place, indicating a policy continuity for the economy and foreign affairs, but there were a few notable additions. One of those is Nicolas Yatromanolakis, who’s appointment as deputy culture minister...

14 λεπτά

Vassilis Nedos, Kathimerini’s diplomatic and defense editor, joins The Greek Current to break down the latest developments in Greek-Turkish relations, discuss Berlin’s mediating role when it comes to exploratory talks, and explore whether there is room for these talks to take place in the new year. We also look at Greece and Israel’s partnership, specifically the creation of a new €1.4 billion...

17 λεπτά

Expert Nicholas Danforth joins The Greek Current to discuss why letting Turkey go may be the best way to repair US-Turkish ties in the long run. In the piece in Foreign Policy Magazine “It Is Time To Let Turkey Go” he also makes the case that the US cannot single-handedly rescue the US-Turkish alliance, nor will Erdogan ever offer any real or lasting reset—no matter how many times he appears to...

12 λεπτά

It’s time to take a firmer approach when it comes to Turkey. That’s the argument Boris Zilberman, the Director of Public Policy and Strategy at Christians United for Israel Action Fund, makes in his latest op-ed. Boris is with us today on The Greek Current to explain why continuing on the current path in the US-Turkish relationship is a mistake, and discuss what definitive action the US...

13 λεπτά

Diliman Abdulkader, the Co-Founder and Director of American Friends of Kurdistan, joins The Greek Current to discuss recent reports of inter-Kurdish conflict in northern Iraq and in Syria, Ankara’s role in these conflicts and its latest moves to crack down on Kurdish rights both within Turkey and in the broader region, and what Kurds expect from the US and the incoming Biden administration on...

10 λεπτά

"From a new drug research hub to island incubators, Greece is starting to position itself for the Fourth Industrial Revolution." That’s the lead sentence in a piece by journalist John Psaropoulos, who outlines the key steps Greece is taking to transform its economy and capitalize on its young talent. John Psaropoulos, an independent journalist based in Greece and Al Jazeera’s southeast Europe...

17 λεπτά

There are a number of recent reports that Turkey is trying to open diplomatic channels with Israel in a bid to mend relations. This includes an announcement that Turkey will once again send an ambassador to Israel, and references to “secret contacts between Turkey and Israel.” Seth Frantzman joins our podcast to discuss why these moves by Turkey are disingenuous and an effort to sabotage...

12 λεπτά