Prime Minister Mitsotakis hosted Turkish President Erdogan of Turkey earlier this month. Once again there is talk about a Greek Turkish rapprochement. The only positive sign from Ankara is that Turkish officials have stopped threatening to invade the Greek islands. How nice of them. This time at least Erdogan did not demand a revision of the Treaty of Lausanne as he did in 2017 when he last visited.
The fact remains that Turkey still occupies Cyprus. Ersin Tatar, Ankara’s representative in the occupied Territories of Cyprus insists on a two state solution and no concessions will be forthcoming. Add to the fact that Turkey has successfully helped Azerbaijan ethnically cleanse the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh. Turkey is a major regional power entering into dialogue with Greece from position of strength.
The influence of Washington on Mitsotakis is quite apparent. Athens is moving to placate Turkey to please Washington. The Erdogan visit to Greece was out of place in light of the atrocities against the Armenians and Ankara’s general hostility toward Cyprus. Mitsotakis once pursued a hard line against Turkey.
His first administration with former Foreign Minister Dendias led to alliances with France and Egypt to counter Turkey. Over time, Greece’s principled stance has softened considerably. It might seem that Greek Turkish relations are less tense but this is not the case.
The fact that the Turks are not presently threatening to invade does not mean that their hostile claims on everything from Cyprus to to the Aegean Sea have disappeared. The Erdogan visit to Greece is a victory for Turkey and a defeat for Greece.
Turkey appears to be pursuing reconciliation while maintaining aggressive stances. This is a major propaganda victory for Turkey.