Calm waters despite disagreements
Mitsotakis and Erdogan agree to continue normalization process in spite of differences
The much-anticipated meeting between Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Monday highlighted a consensus on the need to maintain calm waters in the Aegean, but also to keep open the channels of communication despite known disagreements in key policy areas.
The two leaders publicly disagreed on the minority of Thrace, the conversion of the Chora Monastery into a mosque, the Cyprus problem and the character of the Hamas organization, which Athens considers terrorist and Ankara considers resistance.
Nevertheless, they signed two agreements on civil protection and economic cooperation, and agreed to meet again soon, as well as to hold the High Cooperation Council in Ankara before the end of 2024, which Erdogan called the “next step.”
They both stressed the significance of continuing all forms of Greek-Turkish contacts (political dialogue, confidence building measures, positive agenda) under the political guidance of Foreign Ministers George Gerapetritis and Hakan Fidan.
On the issue of the minority, Erdogan described it as Turkish, even calling for the “fulfillment of its rights.” Mitsotakis in turn underlined its religious character stressing that Turkey's Greek minority is “drastically reduced in terms of population” and that it “needs the support of the Turkish state” to continue to enrich the social and cultural life of Turkey. Mitsotakis noted that Greece's Muslim minority enjoys equal opportunities, and that there are special measures for them, in contrast to the “ever-shrinking Hellenism in Turkey.”
As for the Chora Monastery, Mitsotakis said he conveyed to Erdogan his distress and dissatisfaction over its conversion into a mosque. Erdogan noted that “Turkey is a model country in protecting cultural heritage,” referring to the 2020 decision to open the Chora Monastery “for worship and visitation,” noting that “we attach great importance to it being placed on UNESCO's cultural heritage list.”
Regarding the disagreement on the Cyprus issue, Mitsotakis stressed that the opportunity of a new effort under the auspices of the UN should not be lost, with Erdogan referring to the need to resolve the problem based on the “realities on the island,” echoing Ankara's insistence on a two-state solution.
Mitsotakis, however, reiterated Greece's support for Turkey's European perspective, and referred to the recent conclusions of the April European Council which, he said, “give a positive perspective to the resumption of Euro-Turkish relations.”