PM in Ankara without high expectations

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ visit to Ankara on Monday and his meeting with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will take place without high expectations, with the main goal being to preserve the positive climate, the “calm waters” in the Aegean, and the open channels of communication between the two sides.

The major dispute over the delimitation of maritime zones is not expected to be on the agenda of the talks, and with the European elections in Greece less than a month away, the focus has shifted away from the substance of the talks and toward Mitsotakis’ and Erdogan’s public statements that will follow – particularly those of the Turkish president.

Athens would prefer – and has communicated as much to the Turkish side – that there be no reference to Thrace’s Muslim minority, which Ankara has often stressed, or if so that they are kept to a minimum. However, if this does not happen, Mitsotakis will undoubtedly respond, as his statements will follow those of Erdogan. In addition, the prime minister will publicly react to Ankara’s “problematic” decision to convert the Chora Monastery into a mosque.

The Greek side’s goal, however, is to prevent tension and confirm the functioning personal chemistry that the two leaders have developed over the last year. To the same end, the next contacts will be scheduled in order to keep the top-down approach to decompression in Greek-Turkish ties moving forward.

The difficulties in maintaining a good climate became visible both with the case of the marine parks and with Erdogan’s decision to announce the opening of the Chora Monastery as a mosque during easter.

Mitsotakis is expected to respond to both issues, stating that Greece, within the framework of international law, and without retreating from sovereignty and sovereign rights, will proceed with the creation of marine parks as planned, based on environmental criteria. Moreover, the Greek delegation is also ready for discussions on the MoU process (i.e. the Papoulia-Yilmaz memorandum), without, however, being particularly inclined to change the framework which, it is recalled, provides for a moratorium on exercises in the Aegean during the three months from June 15 to September15.

Turkey’s stance on the Greek-Turkish issue is being promoted by Ankara to its European interlocutors as an element of constructive behaviour in the context of contacts with the EU. The Cyprus issue is not an element of Greek-Turkish dialogue at this stage.