Greek-Turkish dialogue and the media
Despite publicly expressing some of their differing approaches on bilateral as well as global issues, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan remained focused on the relatively robust process of dialogue that has been established in the last year and is confirmed by the periodic meetings of the two leaders themselves and the regular consultations between ministers and officials.
At the same time, contacts between businesspeople – the two leaders set a goal of boosting bilateral trade from the present day $6 billion to $10 billion – journalists and others add to the momentum.
Of course, serious differences remain. Among other issues, Erdogan insists on raising objections with respect to sovereignty, and talks of a two-state solution in Cyprus – approaches that Athens dismisses outright.
Still, at the press conference after his talks with Erdogan in Ankara, on Monday, Mitsotakis noted that “despite our differences in views, we have proven to be open to a win-win cooperation.” In the same spirit, the Turkish leader himself had declared in an interview with Kathimerini that differences should not impede the ongoing dialogue.
As the waters in the Aegean remain calm and the rapprochement continues, the question arises as to what the endgame for each country is and if it’s the same or even similar to the other’s.
In this delicate period of expectations inevitably rising, even at a slow pace, the media will be called on to play a critical role in harboring an atmosphere of mutual understanding and by doing so facilitating the process of moving forward. They obviously cannot and should not replace the governments or their diplomats.
What they can and should do is to act responsibly, offering objective analyses of developments and avoiding excesses.
As it was noted during a Greek-Turkish conference over the weekend in Istanbul, the role of the media in building an atmosphere where cooperation prevails over threats and tensions is crucial.