The Erdogan visit, a different choreography

A lot has been said and written comparing the very different visits paid to Athens by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, both taking place on December 7, the previous one in 2017 and the most recent one in 2023.

The image portrayed by the then president of the Hellenic Republic during the first visit – that of an institutionally weak head of state, sitting cornered on the sofa of his own Presidential Mansion, and addressing the strongman of Turkey seated confidently in the middle of the sofa in an almost apologetic tone – remains etched in the minds of Greeks as a disturbing and disheartening moment.

The choices made, the entire planning of that visit, were unfortunate to say the least, from an aesthetic perspective but also from an essential point of view, as appearances do affect the overall mood. Prokopis Pavlopoulos picked the wrong place and the wrong time to pander to public sentiment and show off his legal expertise.

The setting and the tone with which he attempted to convey that any attempt to amend the Treaty of Lausanne was entirely off the table, was wrong. The Greek president achieved the opposite result by giving his guest an opening to expound – at length and in a live broadcast – on Turkey’s positions, challenges and claims.

This unprecedented confrontation in the Presidential Mansion and the climate of tension that ensued also took a toll on the mood of the meeting that followed between Erdogan and then prime minister Alexis Tsipras.

Erdogan’s recent appearance was much more controlled, indicating lessons learned, as President Katerina Sakellaropoulou kept her address to a brief dignified and positive statement in favor of peaceful coexistence and cooperation, with respect for international law.

To have a fuller picture in the comparison, we should also bear in mind how completely different the frameworks of the two visits were. December 2017 was just a year and a half after the attempted coup in Turkey and Erdogan held Greece accountable for what he viewed as an almost hostile stance concerning the case of the eight Turkish officers who had fled to Athens to avoid prosecution after the Turkish president accused them of being part of the overthrow attempt.

That said, we should be realistic. Ankara’s fundamental positions have not changed. The glass has the same amount of water, up to the middle, today as it did in 2017.

The difference is that we described it as “half-empty” after that unfortunate visit and now see it as “half-full” thanks to the careful choreography of the visit and a more favorable international framework. Can the glass get fuller? It’s too soon to tell, but either way, this is something that can only happen when we maintain a positive attitude.