Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are scheduled to meet midday Wednesday in Ankara, 17 months after their last encounter, amid last-minute disruptions reflecting the persistent lack of trust that defines Greek-Turkish relations.
Following their meeting, the two leaders will co-chair the sixth session of the High-Level Cooperation Council. No substantive breakthroughs are expected, a reality underscored by the diplomatically unusual decision of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to publicly differentiate between members of the Greek government whom he described as supportive of resolving bilateral disputes and others whom he portrayed as obstacles.
Speaking about 36 hours before the scheduled meeting, Fidan told CNN Turk that Mitsotakis and Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis “have the intention and the ability to solve the problem, that is, to take the issue even further.” In contrast, without naming him directly, Fidan referred to Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias, saying: “There is him, there is the audience he addresses, there are also other people besides him, so this political environment and political competition unfortunately do not create an environment that favors the resolution of such strategic problems in Greek politics.”
Athens opted not to escalate the remarks. Greek Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Lana Zohiou said Greece “pursues an active foreign policy based on international law and seeks in practice peace and good neighborly relations.” She noted that Dendias will be in Brussels, as will his Turkish counterpart Yasar Guler, for scheduled European Union and NATO defense ministers’ meetings.
Fidan also said leaders face “a constant dilemma between resolving this historic problem and the political cost,” adding that Ankara has proposed “very creative solutions,” without providing details.
In Ankara, officials say the priority is continuing dialogue and strengthening bilateral relations across all ministerial portfolios represented at the council meeting, a goal mirrored by Athens. While discussions may include long-standing disputes, both sides are expected to restate established positions without advancing beyond that at this stage.
Issues likely to be raised include minority rights, everyday matters such as visas, migration, and border security.
Erdogan will host a dinner in Mitsotakis’ honor, with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew also invited. Analysts say Erdogan may earlier raise the issue of the possible reopening of the Halki Theological Seminary in Istanbul.
Turkish officials have expressed satisfaction with convening the council, noting it had been planned a year earlier. Despite recent remarks by ruling party spokesman Omer Celik about Aegean island militarization, there is no expectation such issues will be raised at the summit.