Mitsotakis and Erdogan set for NYC meeting

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is scheduled to conscionable Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan successful New York connected Tuesday, September 23, connected the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly, authorities officials confirmed. Mitsotakis departs Monday and will present his code to the assembly connected Friday, September 26.

The gathering comes aft weeks of preparations betwixt the two governments, pursuing tensions sparked by a Turkish Navtex announcing probe by the vessel Piri Reis successful the Aegean. While expectations for important breakthroughs stay low, the brushwood whitethorn awesome a continuation of “calmer waters” successful bilateral relations and could see treatment of specific issues such arsenic an energy interconnection.

The Piri Reis’ beingness successful Izmir Bay precocious Thursday nighttime suggested diplomatic channels stay active, though Athens remains cautious. Turkish irritation has been noted implicit caller developments favoring Greece successful the Eastern Mediterranean, including US vigor institution Chevron’s involvement successful offshore blocks south of Crete.

Other Greek-Turkish contacts are imaginable during the week. A apt gathering betwixt Foreign Ministers George Gerapetritis and Hakan Fidan would widen ongoing communications. Still, officials accidental if the Piri Reis begins Aegean surveys, Ankara would nonstop a awesome that could derail the leaders’ meeting. Erdogan, meanwhile, is expected to absorption overmuch of his UN quality connected condemning Israel.

Military maneuvers person heightened the atmosphere. Greece held an unscheduled “Delta Force” workout arsenic a amusement of readiness, while Turkey conducted 4 abstracted drills successful the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean, including 1 with Egypt.

The Cyprus contented will besides surface. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is acceptable to conscionable Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish-Cypriot person Ersin Tatar connected September. 27. While advancement earlier upcoming elections successful Turkish-occupied bluish Cyprus is unlikely, Guterres appears determined to effort caller talks contempt the illness astatine Crans-Montana successful 2017.