Yiannis Ioannou
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's visit to Athens for the Greek-Turkish supreme council holds significance beyond the immediate dialogue.
The carefully prepared meeting between Erdoğan and Mitsotakis aims to avoid surprises in public rhetoric, reflecting a conciliatory tone from Erdoğan, deviating from past high-toned language.
In Nicosia, optimism prevails as positive developments in Greek-Turkish dialogue are seen as influential in breaking the deadlock in Cyprus talks.
Contrary to expectations, the Mitsotakis-Erdoğan discussion sidelines the Cyprus issue. Publicly addressing the Cyprus problem is deemed unlikely during the press conference following their meeting.
Instead, the focus echoes the "spirit of Vilnius," centering on dialogue, positive agendas, and avoiding chaos amidst the complexities of Greek-Turkish disputes.
Anticipated Post-Meeting Developments
While not delving into the Cyprus issue, the post-meeting period is expected to bring about small measures fostering closer ties between Athens and Ankara.
The signing of a declaration on friendly relations and good neighborliness may contribute to a temporary easing of tensions, particularly in the Aegean regarding Turkish violations and overflights:
- The broader strategy involves securing the UN Special Envoy's arrival to facilitate mobility in breaking the deadlock.
- Sustaining momentum, even at an overflow level, becomes crucial for progressing towards the challenging goal of restarting dialogue on the Cyprus problem.
[This article was translated from its Greek original]
