Earlier this month Erdogan made a wild accusation that Israel was planning to wage war on, or target, Turkey. While these absurd claims are mainly seen as an effort by the Turkish President to appease his Islamist base and distract from the country’s economic troubles, there is concern that to ignore such statements encourages further incitement. Alan Makovsky, a senior fellow for the Center for American Progress and a former senior staffer with responsibility for Turkey on the House Foreign Aff...
Oct 18, 2024•13 min•Ep. 1091
With the exclusion of former party head Stefanos Kasselakis from its leadership election, it looks like SYRIZA is plunging into fresh turmoil. With the party effectively leaderless and consumed by internal struggles for the coming weeks, many see this as an opportunity for PASOK - which just wrapped up its own leadership elections - to state its case to be considered the main opposition party. Nick Malkoutzis, the co-founder of Macropolis.gr, joins Thanos Davelis to discuss the latest crisis wit...
Oct 17, 2024•11 min•Ep. 1090
Next month COP 29, the UN’s flagship climate conference, is once again going to be hosted by an authoritarian petrostate - Azerbaijan. In the build up to COP29, human rights organizations, civil society groups, and major news outlets have all shared their concerns about Azerbaijan’s human rights record - from its aggression in the Caucasus against Armenians to its crackdown on dissidents at home. Aram Hamparian, the Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), joins T...
Oct 16, 2024•12 min•Ep. 1089
A few days ago, on October 12th, Athens celebrated 80 years since the liberation of the city from a brutal Nazi German occupation that left its mark not just on Athens, but on all of Greece. Today, we take a look back at this historic moment, but also at a question that has lingered ever since, impacting Greece’s relations with Germany: the issue of reparations and a forced loan taken from Greece. John Psaropoulos joins Thanos Davelis as we dive into this issue and look at why it is still on the...
Oct 15, 2024•12 min•Ep. 1088
Last week Turkish President Erdogan set out on a tour of the Balkans, visiting Albania and Serbia. The tour kicked off in Albania, with Erdogan gifting a number of drones and inaugurating the largest mosque in the Balkans - which was funded by Turkey. The second leg took him to Serbia, where Turkey made a diplomatic comeback in 2017. Thanos Davelis caught up with expert Dimitar Bechev last week while Erdogan was wrapping up his visit to Belgrade. We looked into Erdogan’s Balkan tour, and broke d...
Oct 14, 2024•13 min•Ep. 1087
This week Greece - together with the European Commission - hosted the REPowerEU workshop on energy in Athens. This was a chance to put the spotlight on how Greece is at the heart of energy developments like the “Vertical Corridor”, renewables, and electricity interconnectors that are transforming the region and breaking its dependence on Russian energy. Theodoros Tsakiris, a Professor of Geopolitics and Energy Policy at the University of Nicosia, joins Thanos Davelis to look into this important ...
Oct 11, 2024•18 min•Ep. 1086
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is set to hold talks with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar in New York next week, the latest push to kickstart stalled talks for a solution to the Cyprus problem. The talks come as Tatar and Turkish President Erdogan have been doubling down on their calls for a two-state solution, with Erdogan even calling for recognition of the pseudo-state at the UN General Assembly. Konstantinos Letymbiotis, the Government Spo...
Oct 10, 2024•10 min•Ep. 1085
After a meeting at the UN between the leaders of Greece and Turkey, it appears talks to delimit the continental shelf and EEZ - the main issue on the table - could materialize. This was confirmed in a recent interview that Greece’s Foreign Minister Georgios Gerapetritis, who will meet with his Turkish counterpart next month in Athens, gave to Kathimerini. Expert Constantinos Filis, the director of the Institute of Global Affairs and a professor of international relations at the American College ...
Oct 09, 2024•9 min•Ep. 1084
Sunday’s election for PASOK’s leadership was a nail-biter up until the early hours of Monday, keeping analysts up well into the night. The race for second place, which saw Athens mayor Haris Doukas narrowly defeat former minister Pavlos Yeroulanos, has set the stage for a runoff against incumbent Nikos Androulakis. Lamprini Rori, an Assistant Professor in Political Analysis at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens who frequently comments on Greek politics, joins Thanos Davelis to br...
Oct 08, 2024•14 min•Ep. 1083
We’ve seen recent reports - most notably in Kathimerini - hinting that Turkey could be prepared to take steps to reopen the historic Halki Seminary, something Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has also voiced optimism about. Elizabeth Prodromou, a visiting Professor in the International Studies Program at Boston College, a non-resident senior fellow in the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center, and an expert in international religious freedom issues, joins Thanos Davelis to look into these reports, a...
Oct 07, 2024•17 min•Ep. 1082
On the campaign trail, former President Trump constantly warns of a World War III. In Greece and Cyprus, it already feels like such a war is playing out as Athens and Nicosia have to navigate flashpoints to the north in Ukraine and to the south in the Middle East. Endy Zemenides, HALC’s Executive Director, joins Thanos Davelis to discuss how these wide-ranging conflicts are affecting Greece and Cyprus – domestically, in their relations with regional actors, and in their bilateral relationships w...
Oct 04, 2024•15 min•Ep. 1081
This Sunday is decision day for the leadership race in PASOK, a race that could determine not only the future of PASOK but the way forward for the broader center left. With six candidates vying to take over the party, the drama in PASOK is likely to continue beyond Sunday’s election as a runoff is expected between the two leading candidates. Nikos Efstathiou, an Athens based journalist and author, joins Thanos Davelis to look at what to expect from this election, and whether this is PASOK’s last...
Oct 03, 2024•13 min•Ep. 1080
Once on the verge of extinction, the Caretta caretta sea turtle is recording an amazing bounce-back as its nests are reaching record numbers. At the heart of this comeback is the Greek island of Zakynthos and the shore of Sekania, long described as the Mediterranean’s greatest “maternity ward” for this sea turtle, home to a state-funded marine park. Charikleia Minotou, who coordinates the WWF program in this protected area, joins Thanos Davelis to look at the conservation efforts behind this sea...
Oct 02, 2024•13 min•Ep. 1079
Austria's far-right Freedom Party, a party rooted in Nazi ideology, just celebrated an unprecedented election victory on Sunday night, with its leader talking about a new era for the far right. This is seen as another worrying sign for Europe, as a surge by populist far-right forces shows no sign of slowing down. Georgios Samaras, an Assistant Professor of Public Policy at King’s College London whose research has centered on the far right in Greece and Europe, joins Thanos Davelis to break down ...
Oct 01, 2024•12 min•Ep. 1078
With world leaders gathering in New York last week for the UN General Assembly, the focus was undoubtedly on diplomacy as Prime Minister Mitsotakis’ met with Turkish President Erdogan and world leaders sounded the alarm about the risks engulfing the world. As Tom Ellis, the editor in chief of Kathimerini’s English Edition - who joins Thanos Davelis on our show today - writes in The Greek Letter, tensions in Greece’s neighborhood and uncertainty around the world mean diplomacy has to go hand in h...
Sep 30, 2024•13 min•Ep. 1077
A proposal is reportedly on the table that could potentially see the US gain control of Turkey’s S-400s in return for Ankara re-joining the F-35 program. This has many asking why the Biden administration is in a rush to find a way to bring Turkey back into a program that it was ejected from as a result of Ankara’s embrace of Russia and behavior that is antithetical to NATO. Sinan Ciddi joins Thanos Davelis to look into this developing story, and make the case that Turkey should prove it is ready...
Sep 27, 2024•13 min•Ep. 1076
The issue of migration is back on the agenda in Greece, putting the spotlight on a phenomenon that has been ongoing in the country for at least 3 decades. This was the focus of recent studies by DiaNEOsis in Greece which looked at Greek perspectives on migration and dug into the policies designed to address this issue which has an impact across society - from the labor market to demographics. Aggelos Tramountanis, a researcher specializing on migration at Greece’s National Center for Social Rese...
Sep 26, 2024•15 min•Ep. 1075
On Tuesday Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayipp Erdogan met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, making it the sixth time the two leaders have met since the NATO summit in Vilnius fourteen months ago. Reports indicate that beyond a commitment to maintain calm and a positive agenda, issues like migration and Cyprus also came up. Vassilis Nedos, Kathimerini’s diplomatic and defense editor, joins Thanos Davelis to break down what message this meeting sends a...
Sep 25, 2024•13 min•Ep. 1074
While world leaders gather in New York, we’re going to turn our attention to Athens and the historic Panathenaic Stadium, where over 40,000 fans gathered for a basketball tournament this weekend. Kathimerini described this as a night that raised the bar for Greek basketball around the world. Alexander Kitroeff, a professor of history, a frequent commentator on Greek sport, and a lifelong Panathinaikos fan, joins Thanos Davelis on The Greek Current today as we look at a night that put Greek baske...
Sep 24, 2024•17 min•Ep. 1073
This weekend Kathimerini reported that a US proposal is on the table that could see a resolution to the Russian S-400 missile issue that has been a thorn in the side of US-Turkey relations over the last years. This could potentially result in the lifting of CAATSA sanctions and a path for Turkey to rejoin the F35 program. Lena Argiri, the Washington, DC correspondent for ERT - the Greek Public Broadcasting Company - and Kathimerini, joins Thanos Davelis with the latest scoop from Washington, DC....
Sep 23, 2024•8 min•Ep. 1072
Turkey’s recent role in mediating talks between Somalia and Ethiopia has put the spotlight on how Turkey’s influence in Africa has boomed over the past two decades. As the Financial Times reported in a recent in-depth piece, Turkey’s rapidly growing influence has been particularly prominent in the Sahel region, especially over the past few years. Turkey’s focus on Africa comes as a number of so-called “middle powers” are vying to gain a larger foothold on the continent. Ulf Laessing, the head of...
Sep 20, 2024•10 min•Ep. 1071
Mario Draghi recently released a report on Europe’s competitiveness that has sparked debate across the continent. The report, which shows Europe lagging behind the US and China in a number of areas, has many asking if the continent’s leaders will heed his call to action. Jacob Kirkegaard, a nonresident senior fellow with the Peterson Institute for International Economics and senior fellow at Bruegel, joins Thanos Davelis to break down why this report has sparked a debate across the EU, and look ...
Sep 19, 2024•13 min•Ep. 1070
Earlier this month Prime Minister Mitsotakis announced a series of measures designed to alleviate Greece’s housing crisis. It came as no surprise that Airbnb and short term rentals were also targeted - especially in downtown Athens - as Greece announced it will ban new short-term rentals in the center for at least a year. Iliana Magra, a journalist with Kathimerini, joins Thanos Davelis to look at these latest announcements, and provide a look into how Greeks living in neighborhoods of Athens th...
Sep 18, 2024•10 min•Ep. 1069
Earlier this month a Turkish-flagged vessel suspected of carrying weapons to Libya blocked the EU’s naval mission Irini from inspecting its cargo. This isn’t the first time this has happened. The timing of this shipment, however, which comes amid an escalating row over the leadership of the country’s Central Bank, is fueling speculation of renewed conflict in Libya. Amberin Zaman, Al-Monitor’s chief correspondent covering major stories on the Middle East and North Africa, joins Thanos Davelis to...
Sep 17, 2024•13 min•Ep. 1068
Over the summer we’ve read about issues of water scarcity on Greece’s islands, many of them struggling to find ways to meet demand during the summer - especially as tourists swarm to the islands. New warnings, however, indicate that Greece’s countryside and the city of Athens could face their own water crisis. Experts have warned that if droughts persist, Athens would run out of water in another four years. This has spurred the government into action, and it has announced a series of ambitious w...
Sep 16, 2024•11 min•Ep. 1067
Earlier this year Europeans seemed to wrap up years of negotiations to pass a new migration pact. Now, Germany has decided to impose temporary controls on its land borders in an immigration crackdown. This is leading to a string of reactions across Europe, with frontline states like Greece increasingly concerned about the possibility of a “domino effect” that would see other member states take similar steps. Alexandra Voudouri, Kathimerini’s correspondent in Brussels, joins Thanos Davelis to loo...
Sep 13, 2024•14 min•Ep. 1066
All eyes have been on Thessaloniki these days as the Thessaloniki International Fair is putting a spotlight on Greece’s second city. Beyond the droves of politicians, diplomats and business leaders visiting the city, this was an opportunity to shine a light on the crucial role that Thessaloniki can play in an evolving region. Endy Zemenides, HALC’s Executive Director, joins Thanos Davelis to look at how Thessaloniki is positioning itself to play a key role in this new international setting. You ...
Sep 11, 2024•12 min•Ep. 1065
Turkey recently took delivery of its first German-built T-214 submarine with air-independent propulsion system, a submarine that falls in the same category as the Greek Papanikolis. The news sparked discussions in Athens about whether Greece is falling behind its neighbor and nominal ally at sea. Vassilis Nedos, Kathimerini’s diplomatic and defense editor, joins Thanos Davelis to look into this development, break down what the situation at sea looks like, and explore how Greece plans to position...
Sep 10, 2024•14 min•Ep. 1064
This weekend Prime Minister Mitsotakis delivered his keynote address at the Thessaloniki International Fair. While he made it clear he was not showing up with a bag of gifts, he did announce a number of programs with a 2027 horizon, and put the issue of tackling issues related to over-tourism on the table as well. At the same time in Athens, SYRIZA leader Stefanos Kasselakis lost a no-confidence motion, throwing the main opposition party into further turmoil. Nick Malkoutzis, the co-founder of M...
Sep 09, 2024•17 min•Ep. 1063
Are Turkish-Egyptian relations entering a “new phase”? This week Egypt’s President al-Sisi traveled to Ankara to meet with Turkish President Erdogan, a visit that came after over a decade of tensions between the two countries that spanned from Libya to the Eastern Mediterranean and saw Erdogan describe his Egyptian counterpart as a “tyrant”. Steven Cook, the Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, joins Thanos Davelis to explore whe...
Sep 06, 2024•15 min•Ep. 1062
