Athens rebuffs US mediation as pressure mounts over Turkey visit

Greece and Turkey can manage their relations bilaterally without intermediaries such as the United States, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Tuesday, amid growing domestic opposition ahead of his visit to Ankara later this month.

The remarks come amid growing concern in Greece that Turkey’s role in Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace”, the sidelining of the United Nations and Trump’s close ties with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan risk fuelling a backlash against Greek foreign policy, long anchored in international law.

“Under no circumstances do I believe – a view I think Turkey also shares – that we need an arbitrator or mediator to discuss matters that concern our two countries,” Mitsotakis told Skai TV.

The Greek leader added that Athens maintains strategic relations not only with the Trump administration but also “with the US Congress and with the other centres of power in the United States.”

The United States has long been involved in resolving disputes in Southeastern Europe and the Balkans, though not always directly. During the landmark 2018 name deal with North Macedonia, Washington provided political backing while staying out of the negotiations.

Talks with Turkey are more complicated. The two NATO allies disagree not only on solutions but on the scope of the disputes themselves. Greece recognises exclusive economic zones as the sole outstanding issue while Ankara also raises the demilitarisation of Greek islands and the status of the Muslim minority in northeastern Greece.

Both sides recently relaunched a political dialogue aimed at easing tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, where decades-long maritime disputes have hindered energy and security cooperation. The Trump administration has repeatedly emphasised that Southeastern Europe is of strategic importance for US energy interests.

Domestically, Mitsotakis faces strong criticism over his upcoming meeting with Erdoğan in mid-February with the opposition pressing the government to clarify the purpose of the meeting

Former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, once a New Democracy member and now preparing to launch a new political party, said Mitsotakis’ visit “damages the country’s image.”

Meanwhile, Ankara stepped up pressure by issuing long-duration NAVTEX notices – maritime alerts flagging naval activity in the area – a move Greece described as political signalling ahead of the visit.

(cs)