Tiptoeing towards talks
Moving from detente with Turkey to substantial issues faces hurdles
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ next meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in September will be important in deciding whether the two nominal allies will be able to move from the present state of detente in bilateral relations into significant talks about their differences, diplomatic sources have told Kathimerini.
The two leaders have agreed to meet on the sidelines of the annual United Nations General Assembly, which will take place from September 10-24.
The same sources said that the two have agreed so far to “agree to disagree” on issues ranging from the division of Cyprus to the demarcation of sovereign maritime zones, without resorting to the tensions prevailing from 2018 to 2022 that, at times, threatened to escalate into armed confrontation.
At present, both sides are undecided on the prospects for dialogue and diplomats wonder whether the current state of affairs is sustainable.
Also to be taken into account is the fact that entering into a dialogue with the intent to find solutions is a minefield in both countries’ domestic politics.
Diplomats essentially believe that only Erdogan and Mitsotakis can decide whether bilateral relations will move forward, first with exploratory and then with substantial negotiations.
Opposition leaders briefed on Monday by Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis on a range of foreign policy issues, welcomed the detente in bilateral relations but cautioned about concessions. SYRIZA leader Stefanos Kasselakis said dialogue must respect international legal principle, while PASOK’s Nikos Androulakis said Erdogan’s agenda promoting a two-state solution in Cyprus must be prevented.
