Mitsotakis-Erdogan meeting, political bickering dominate agenda
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet in New York on Tuesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. This marks their sixth meeting in 15 months, probably the most frequent high-level communication in the history of relations between the two countries.
Expectations for a breakthrough on thorny issues are low, but discussions will include migration – particularly in light of setbacks at the European level – and negotiations regarding the resumption of talks on Cyprus.
On the domestic front, political disputes continue to unfold. Within New Democracy, internal opposition is becoming more pronounced, SYRIZA is experiencing escalating infighting, and PASOK is entering the final stretch before its leadership elections.
Mitsotakis-Erdogan meeting
The upcoming meeting could either serve as a turning point in bilateral relations between Athens and Ankara or signify a continuation of the current stalemate, with political dialogue on key issues stalled and little prospect for breakthrough.
Mitsotakis is scheduled to address the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday and will also meet with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. A primary focus will be the resumption of talks to resolve the division of Cyprus, the last round of which took place in 2017 in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. This marks the longest period without dialogue.
PASOK elections
In PASOK, the six candidates for leadership will participate in a televised debate on Tuesday at 9 p.m., broadcast by state TV. Six topics will be covered: the economy, welfare state, foreign policy and defense, state and institutions, the climate crisis, and the future of PASOK.
Elections are set for October 6, with a runoff scheduled for the following Sunday, October 13, if necessary.
SYRIZA chaos
Meanwhile, the main opposition party, SYRIZA, is descending into turmoil ahead of its leadership elections. This drama, marked by threats of legal action, verbal attacks, and accusations, is expected to intensify this week.
Ousted president Stefanos Kasselakis is anticipated to announce his candidacy on Monday or Tuesday, coinciding with the anniversary of his election victory last year.
Over the weekend, the party’s central committee confirmed the decision to hold elections on November 24, with a runoff on December 1. Candidates will be required to make their wealth declarations (“pothen esches”) public. The “Group of 87,” aligned with former prime minister Alexis Tsipras, is seeking a viable candidate, while the Kasselakis faction frames the leadership contest as a struggle against party bureaucracy.
New Democracy dissent
Mitsotakis has called for the expulsion of New Democracy MP Marios Salmas, a frequent critic of his government, from the ruling party’s parliamentary group. This move follows Salmas’ repeated allegations over biased tenders issued by the ministries of culture and health. Salmas is part of the so-called “Group of 11,” representing the right-wing opposition within New Democracy. This internal opposition is attempting to distinguish itself from the leadership ahead of a joint public appearance by vocal critics, former prime ministers Kostas Karamanlis and Antonis Samaras.
