Greek and Turkish Foreign Ministers sent a clear message during a private dinner last Friday in Istanbul: the 6th Greece–Turkey High-Level Cooperation Council (HLCC) in Ankara will take place — despite earlier delays in announcing a formal date. The dinner was hosted by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan for his Greek counterpart George Gerapetritis, and it served to confirm that the official date for the Mitsotakis–Erdoğan meeting will be finalized during their next scheduled meeting, which is set to take place on the sidelines of the informal NATO Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Antalya on May 14–15.
Based on current information, both delegations consider June — particularly the early weeks of the month — the most likely timeframe for the summit. However, there’s still a chance the two foreign ministers could meet even before Antalya, should Fidan accept an invitation to attend an informal lunch of EU foreign ministers in Warsaw. This event, part of the so-called “Gymnich” meeting scheduled for May 7–8, will focus on the war in Ukraine and EU–US relations. Turkey, as an EU candidate country, has been invited, though it’s not yet confirmed whether Fidan will attend.
Before attending the private dinner with Fidan, Gerapetritis met with editors and senior figures from Turkish media in Istanbul. Greek diplomatic sources emphasized that, in ongoing discussions about Turkey’s possible involvement in Europe’s defense framework, Athens continues to highlight the persistent issue of Turkey’s casus belli (threat of war) declaration — a longstanding obstacle — with Greece’s position on this remaining firm and unchanged.
The Trump Meeting Scenario
Beyond laying the groundwork for the Ankara summit, the Gerapetritis–Fidan talks also revealed a mutual desire for a positive outcome or announcement to come out of the HLCC. One potential area — the reopening of the Halki Theological School — was discussed between the two ministers. However, it remains a complex and unresolved matter, despite Turkish President Erdoğan’s apparent goodwill, and will require more time to materialize.
Another issue addressed was recent speculation about possible upcoming meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump — either involving Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (who is expected in New York on May 20 to attend a UN Security Council session) or a visit by President Erdoğan to the White House. According to sources, the Greek side has no such plans at this stage, and Ankara also hasn’t finalized anything on its end. Both sides, for now, appear to share a desire to continue the current phase of Greek–Turkish rapprochement, grounded in structured dialogue and a commitment to maintaining calm in the Aegean — an approach that benefits both countries.
According to officials, the various topics that make up the so-called “Positive Agenda” — a long-standing framework for building bilateral cooperation — have yet to be finalized. For now, both Athens and Ankara seem focused on preserving the positive tone and minimizing tension. This has been carefully cultivated by Gerapetritis and Fidan, who are responsible for managing friction and defusing issues before they escalate into crises.
The Power Cable Will Proceed as Planned
Regarding the ongoing underwater research for the Greece–Cyprus electricity interconnection in international waters, the Greek Foreign Ministry continues to signal a clear message: the project will proceed as planned. Greece hopes Turkey will not obstruct the effort, but if it does, Athens is prepared to respond. Meanwhile, with Greece’s upcoming submission of its national Maritime Spatial Planning strategy — and the announcement of two new national marine parks, in the Ionian and the Aegean — Turkish reactions have been relatively restrained. At the same time, there are faint signs that a possible resolution path through the International Court of Justice in The Hague is beginning to reemerge in the background of Greek–Turkish diplomatic exchanges.
