The planned meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the United Nations was cancelled, with Turkish media attributing the responsibility to Athens.
According to Turkey’s Millyet newspaper, the Greek side prematurely announced the meeting without a joint statement, breaching the prior agreement with Ankara. The request for the summit had reportedly originated from Greece.
A senior Greek government source, cited by ertnews.gr, stressed that the meeting was fully scheduled and the announcement was part of standard practice during the UN General Assembly. The source added that while it remains uncertain if the meeting will take place, there will be future opportunities for dialogue between the two leaders. The source also cited that the two countries have already met seven times, due to Greek pursuit.
Criticism from Turkish Analysts
Pro-government Turkish commentator Ozay Şendir described the Greek actions as driven by “Turkophobia,” claiming that Greece defines its foreign policy exclusively through Ankara. He suggested that Greek officials, including former Foreign Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos, exhibit a persistent “obsession” with Turkey, perceiving it primarily as a threat.
Şendir also compared the situation to 2022, noting that when Mitsotakis addressed the U.S. Congress and visited the White House, there was no Turkish outcry. He argued that Greece’s diplomacy has been overly influenced by its relationship with Turkey, and that Athens often views international developments solely through the lens of Turkish actions. He also noted that Greece has yet to adjust to Turkey’s established and ongoing diplomatic channels with Washington.
U.S. Greek Community Reacts
Meanwhile, the Greek-American community continues to voice concerns regarding Erdoğan’s forthcoming visit to Washington. In a letter to President Donald Trump, Nikos Laryngakis, head of the American Hellenic Institute, urged the U.S. to hold Turkey accountable for actions in the Eastern Mediterranean that conflict with U.S. interests and to reconsider potential arms sales, including F-16 and F-35 fighter jets.
