Reports indicate that a new flotilla to Gaza is being prepared out of Turkey. 14 years ago we saw a similar move take place, when the attempt to send the Mavi Marmara flotilla to Gaza led to a diplomatic crisis. Rich Goldberg, a senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies with a deep expertise in sanctions policy who previously served on the White House National Security Council, joins Thanos Davelis to look at why we need to be paying attention to this new flotilla set to depart...
Apr 12, 2024•13 min•Ep. 971
Years after its collapse in Iraq and Syria at the hands of a US-led coalition, it looks like ISIS is making a comeback. As reports indicate, ISIS has been expanding its presence in Syria, attacking regime soldiers, civilians, and the US-backed Kurdish-led SDF. An underreported element of this story is Turkey’s role in the revival of the Islamic State. Nadine Maenza joins Thanos Davelis to look at what a resurgent ISIS means for the region, particularly in the autonomous zone in north east Syria,...
Apr 11, 2024•11 min•Ep. 970
Greece’s government just announced the creation of two new marine parks – in the Ionian and Aegean seas. The move comes a week before Athens is set to host the 9th Our Ocean Conference on April 16 and 17, which will see key stakeholders not only put a spotlight on issues related to the protection of the seas, but also present a series of concrete proposals. Giorgos Lialios, a journalist at Kathimerini covering issues related to the environment, joins Thanos Davelis to talk about the new marine p...
Apr 10, 2024•10 min•Ep. 969
Turkey announced it was restricting exports on a wide range of products to Israel on Tuesday, in Ankara's first significant measure against Israel after six months of war. The decision comes after Turkish President Erdogan’s party suffered a historic defeat in the municipal elections, a result which experts Sinan Ciddi and Steven Cook argued in Foreign Policy could provide a first glimpse into what a post-AKP Turkey might look like. Sinan Ciddi joins Thanos Davelis to look at why Erdogan is taki...
Apr 10, 2024•13 min•Ep. 968
The last decade Thucydides has moved to the center of the discussion, with concepts like the “Thucydides trap” debated in policy circles in Washington, DC when looking at how to navigate US relations with a rising China in what appears to be a new era of great power competition. So what can Thucydides tell us about our world today? This was the focus of a recent event in Athens at the Institute of International Relations featuring Professor Andrew Novo, a scholar of ancient and modern Mediterran...
Apr 09, 2024•10 min•Ep. 967
Migration is top of the agenda this week in Cyprus, with President Nikos Christodoulides calling for the EU to step in to help Cyprus deal with a surge in arrivals on its shores. Cyprus is pressing Brussels to designate parts of Syria as safe for returns of migrants, and also to condition EU aid to Lebanon on its preventing migrants from departing. Nektaria Stamouli, the deputy editor in chief of Kathimerini’s English Edition and Politico’s Eastern Mediterranean correspondent, joins Thanos Davel...
Apr 06, 2024•10 min•Ep. 966
Greece is ramping up its firefighting efforts, with authorities betting on a host of preventive measures - from the deployment of firefighting aircraft to increased staffing in specialized forest firefighting units - as temperatures touched 30 degrees Celsius in late March and wildfires already broke out weeks earlier than expected. On top of multi-agency exercises and drills, Greece is also fast-tracking a 2.1 billion euro program to upgrade its fleet of firefighting aircraft and create an AI-d...
Apr 05, 2024•10 min•Ep. 965
With the EU elections on the horizon, one party in Greece, Greek Solution, is seeing a notable surge in support. The rise of this far right nationalist party also mirrors broader trends in the far right across Europe, and many are beginning to ask whether this resurgent far-right is here to stay. Dr. Georgios Samaras, an assistant professor of public policy at King’s College London, joins Thanos Davelis to look into the rise of Greek Solution and its leader Kostas Velopoulos, breaking down what ...
Apr 04, 2024•14 min•Ep. 964
Greece has just opened a new vacation visa terminal for Turkish visitors this week as part of a diplomatic effort to ease long-standing tensions between the two countries. The move follows the signing of a series of agreements between Greece and Turkey during President Erdogan’s meeting with Prime Minister Mitsotakis in Athens in December, most notably the Athens Declaration. Vassilis Nedos, Kathimerini’s diplomatic and defense editor, joins Thanos Davelis to look into this latest initiative, an...
Apr 03, 2024•13 min•Ep. 963
Less than a year after securing another term, Turkish President Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party suffered its worst defeat in its 22-year history in Sunday’s municipal elections. All eyes were on Istanbul, where Ekrem Imamoglu easily won reelection and is increasingly cementing his place as Erdogan’s political challenger. Amberin Zaman, Al-Monitor’s chief correspondent covering major stories on the Middle East and North Africa, including Turkey, joins Thanos Davelis to break down Sunday’s...
Apr 02, 2024•15 min•Ep. 962
On Friday US and Turkish officials confirmed that Turkey’s President Erdogan will visit the White House on May 9th, a move that has been described as an apparent quid pro quo for Ankara’s decision to finally green-light Sweden’s NATO membership. Alan Makovsky, veteran Turkey analyst and senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, joins Thanos Davelis to examine how Erdogan finally snagged an invite to the White House, and look into what message this move sends about the Biden administrati...
Mar 30, 2024•12 min•Ep. 961
Can a small antique table give us insight into the history of an entire city and its broader connections to the region? A recent quest for such an antique sent Sean Mathews, a journalist based in Greece and covering the broader Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East, on a trip to Thessaloniki that quickly revealed just how multi-layered and cosmopolitan the city’s past is, with rich connections to the Eastern Mediterranean. Sean Mathews and George Manginis, the academic director at the Benaki Mus...
Mar 29, 2024•13 min•Ep. 960
A few weeks ago Greece passed a law allowing the operation of private, non-profit universities, including allowing foreign private universities to set up branches in the country. The move came despite weeks of demonstrations that included scores of university building occupations by students. Despite this, opinion polls indicate that most Greeks agree with the creation of privately-run universities. David Horner, the President of the American College of Greece, the oldest and largest US accredit...
Mar 28, 2024•12 min•Ep. 959
Earlier this year Kathimerini organized a three-day conference looking back at the 50 years since the restoration of democracy in Greece in 1974, or the Metapolitefsi. We saw a gathering of some of the most influential people of this period, including former prime ministers, who discussed in depth the numerous crises the country has gone through during the past 50 years and many of its accomplishments. Alexis Papachelas, Kathimerini’s Editor in Chief, joins Thanos Davelis to discuss why this 50t...
Mar 27, 2024•12 min•Ep. 958
As we celebrate Greek independence day today, March 25th, we’re going to take a deeper look at one of the crucial figures of the Greek Revolution of 1821, Lord Byron. Aside from his status as a world renowned poet at the time, he is also perhaps the most famous philhellene to travel to Greece and ultimately give his life for Greek independence in 1824, 200 years ago. Professor Roderick Beaton, a historian and author of the books Byron’s War: Romantic Rebellion, Greek Revolution, Greece: Biograph...
Mar 25, 2024•11 min•Ep. 957
This past week Washington’s attention has been on Cyprus and the humanitarian corridor from Gaza, from President Biden’s letter thanking President Christodoulides, to the National Security Council’s chief of staff visiting Cyprus. Cyprus is also going to be a central theme for diaspora Greeks as celebrations for Greek independence day kick off on March 25th. Endy Zemenides, the Executive Director of the Hellenic American Leadership Council, joins Thanos Davelis with the latest on these key devel...
Mar 23, 2024•11 min•Ep. 956
With Ukraine facing a resurgent Russia, NATO leaders have been clear that they do not and “will never recognize Russia’s illegal and illegitimate annexations, including Crimea.” While Western leaders speak clearly when it comes to Ukraine, their uncompromising positions are unfortunately undermined when NATO remains largely silent over the precedent for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: Turkey’s invasion and occupation of the northern part of Cyprus in 1974. Michael Rubin, the director of policy ana...
Mar 21, 2024•9 min•Ep. 955
In a speech on Monday Turkey’s President Erdogan not only defended the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, but went even further, stating that if Turkish troops hadn’t stopped then all of Cyprus would be Turkish today. His comments come as a new UN special envoy is looking for ways to restart talks on Cyprus and amid efforts by Athens and Ankara to normalize ties. They also come on the heels of a recent trip that saw Greece and Cyprus deepen ties with Egypt. Constantinos Filis, the Director of t...
Mar 21, 2024•10 min•Ep. 954
As in the past, the upcoming municipal elections in Turkey are playing a key role in shaping the country's economic policies. While time and resources have been wasted due to Erdogan’s political priorities, soaring inflation - which surpassed 67% earlier this year - and the cost of living crisis has made daily life increasingly difficult for most citizens. Wolfango Piccoli, the co-founder of risk analysis company Teneo, joins Thanos Davelis to look at how the upcoming elections are impacting Tur...
Mar 20, 2024•10 min•Ep. 953
The rise of the far right nationalist party Greek Solution is attracting the interest of many who follow Greek politics, especially due to its approach to issues like Athens’ support for Ukraine. If Greek Solution’s growing appeal in the opinion polls continues ahead of European elections in June, it could even end up in third place. Tom Ellis, the editor in chief of Kathimerini’s English edition, joins Thanos Davelis to discuss the rise of Greek Solution and what it could mean for Prime Ministe...
Mar 19, 2024•12 min•Ep. 952
In 2019 the municipal elections in Turkey garnered widespread attention both inside and outside the country, especially with Turkish President Erdogan’s handpicked AKP candidates losing Istanbul and Ankara. Erdogan is now intent on winning both back. Ayla Jean Yackley, an Istanbul-based journalist covering Turkey with stories in The Financial Times, Politico, and other major outlets, joins Thanos Davelis to look at why we should be paying attention to Turkey’s upcoming elections, which could be ...
Mar 15, 2024•12 min•Ep. 951
How critical was the US role during the Greek debt crisis, and how does it fit into then President Barack Obama’s wider approach to US foreign policy, especially at a time when the US was looking to pivot to Asia? Katerina Sokou, who holds the research fellowship at ELIAMEP on “Greek-American Relations” and who covered the Greek crisis from Washington, DC as a correspondent for Kathimerini, joins Thanos Davelis to break down how the Greek debt crisis provides a case study into the Obama foreign ...
Mar 15, 2024•15 min•Ep. 950
Egypt is set to receive a €7.4 billion aid package to not only shore up the country’s economy, but also curb migration. The move comes amid fears that the conflicts in Gaza and Sudan risk exacerbating financial troubles in the country while raising concerns of new waves of immigration to Europe. There are concerns that Crete, which is already seeing a spike in arrivals from north Africa, could come under pressure. Greek Migration Minister Dimitris Kairidis joins Thanos Davelis to break down why ...
Mar 14, 2024•14 min•Ep. 949
The European Commission is set to recommend that the EU open accession talks with Bosnia and Herzegovina, despite lingering ethnic divisions in the Western Balkan country. This comes after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed that it’s “not enough to just wait for the Western Balkans to move closer” to the EU. At the same time, US Special Representative to the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar is also in the region to reaffirm America’s commitment to the Euro-Atlantic integr...
Mar 13, 2024•11 min•Ep. 948
We’ve just seen consecutive visits to the US by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, with both officials discussing a series of issues - from the wars in Gaza and Ukraine to trade and investments - with the White House, the State Department and Congress. This has many wondering if we are seeing a “new momentum” in US-Turkey ties in the wake of the Sweden NATO saga. Expert Sinan Ciddi joins Thanos Davelis to discuss whether this is the case. Sinan Ciddi is a ...
Mar 12, 2024•13 min•Ep. 947
On Friday the US, EU, Cyprus, and other countries involved formally announced their backing for a sea aid corridor to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza, built around a proposal developed by Cyprus last year. The move follows President Biden’s announcement in the State of the Union of a plan for the US military to establish a temporary port on the coast of Gaza to significantly widen the flow of humanitarian aid into the Strip. Konstantinos Letymbiotis, the Government Spokesperson of the Republic ...
Mar 09, 2024•9 min•Ep. 946
On Wednesday international headlines all focused on the Russian ballistic missile that struck a few hundred meters from where Greece’s Prime Minister Mitsotakis was meeting with Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy in Odesa. Ambassador Spiros Lambridis, Greece’s special envoy for Ukraine, joins Thanos Davelis to discuss this incident and look at the broader significance of Prime Minister Mitsotakis’ visit to Ukraine. We’ll also explore Greece’s overall efforts to support Kyiv in this war, from military...
Mar 08, 2024•15 min•Ep. 945
This week an Albanian court sentenced Fredi Beleri, the imprisoned mayor-elect of Himare, to 2 years in prison. Beleri slammed the trial and the court’s decision as a “sham”. This case is about much more than one individual, however, touching on deeper issues in Greek-Albanian relations. Vassilis Nedos, Kathimerini’s diplomatic and defense editor, joins Thanos Davelis to discuss this latest development in the Beleri case, and look at what this decision - which is widely seen as political - tells...
Mar 07, 2024•12 min•Ep. 944
When China’s Belt and Road Initiative was formally launched in 2013, it was touted as a world-spanning push to replicate the economic and political impact of the Silk Road. As it made investments across the world - including in the port of Piraeus during the depths of the financial crisis - Western capitals sought to counter Beijing’s growing influence. While it appears that the BRI is in retreat today, there are still risks. Josh Birenbaum, the deputy director of the Center on Economic and Fina...
Mar 06, 2024•12 min•Ep. 943
In 2020 Turkey’s government changed the status of Hagia Sophia from a museum into a mosque. Now, Ankara is looking to repeat this with another important UNESCO World Heritage site, Chora Church. In response, HALC has launched a petition calling on the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) to exert pressure on Turkey for the protection of its Christian minorities and Christian cultural heritage. Dr. Elizabeth Prodromou joins Thanos Davelis to look at why preserving ...
Mar 05, 2024•17 min•Ep. 942
