The Greek Letter
ekathimerini.com
The news spreading from New York, New York
nTime News]
Constantine Capsaskis
Newsletter Editor
Welcome to this week’s Kathimerini English Edition newsletter. My name is Constantine, and I am here to guide you through the week’s important stories. The United Nations General Assembly, with no little dose of irony, provided the backdrop for the latest chapter in the seemingly endless escalation in the Aegean, while at home proliferating signs warn of a ‘winter of discontent’ that may lie ahead.
When Turkish officials commonly claimed that Greece is wrong to bring third countries into their disputes, depriving the rest of the world of this gift that keeps on giving, it seems what they really meant was to use the largest international stage and the bright lights of New York to denounce Greece of turning the Aegean into a “cemetery”.
The address of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the UN, in which he levelled many of the usual accusations and stated Greece was committing “crimes against humanity”, was widely rebuffed. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called the claims “preposterous”, the President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades referred to the speech as “ironic”, and Rep. Chris Pappas stated that Erdogan’s remarks were “inflammatory and blatantly hypocritical.”
“We are not enemies, but neighbors,” stated Mitsotakis in his own address, in which he emphasized the benefits of co-operation rather than going on a tit-for-tat rebuttal of Erdogan’s speech. Mitsotakis emphasized that the security, stability, and territorial integrity of Greece are an “absolute red line” but stated that he is open to meeting Erdogan and stressed that the vast majority of Greeks and Turks do not seek conflict.
Unsurprisingly, the Greek delegation in New York had a lot of business in the city that was conducted away from the UN headquarters on the East River. Both Mitsotakis and Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias had a busy schedule with both bilateral and multilateral meetings.
According to Kathimerini’s own Vassilis Nedos, Dendias, who attended 35 meetings over five days, energetically pursued a policy of expanding the usual framework of Greece’s alliances.
If there was one country that was particularly courted by both Greece and Turkey, it is undoubtedly Israel. Turkey held an event for the New York’s American Jewish community in which Erdogan reportedly confirmed that he has imminent plans to visit Israel. At the same time, Mitsotakis had meetings with representatives of several prominent Jewish-American organizations.
Additionally, Mitsotakis met with the Prime Minister of Israel Yair Lapid, stating that Ankara’s actions undermine stability in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Mitsotakis also affirmed his strong ties with the city’s Greek expatriate community, attending a lunch on Wednesday during which he emphasized that “no one will bully Greece.” The prime minister also visited the site of the World Trade Center and the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine.
During the General Assembly, UN Secretary-General Antonio Gutteres warned that the world faces a winter of social discontent as consumer purchasing power is being eroded, confidence in governments is crumbling, and inequalities are growing.
On Wednesday, Athens was brought to a standstill: all public transport in the capital was halted as workers went on strike. Already Greece’s largest labor union, GSEE, has called for a nationwide strike on November 9. It seems likely that as we head into winter and soaring energy prices begin to bite, the Greek government will have to find a way to manage growing public unrest.
Tom Ellis
Editor-in-Chief, Kathimerini English Edition
Mitsotakis – Erdogan meeting in Prague
Mitsotakis with Erdogan and Kalin in Istanbul in March [InTime News]
The upcoming October 6 meeting of the European Political Community – French President Emmanuel Macron’s initiative to address common political and security challenges – in Prague, offers an opportunity for a direct communication between the Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which seems necessary after months of deteriorating relations.
Erdogan’s spokesperson and special adviser, Ibrahim Kalin, left open the possibility of such a meeting – would be the first after last March, when Erdogan hosted Mitsotakis for lunch in Istanbul – saying in an interview that it depends on the steps taken by the Greek side.
No one gains from the present confrontational environment between the two countries, certainly not Turkey. Despite Erdogan’s harsh words for the Greek PM and his “Mitsotakis yok” comment, there is a realization in Ankara that through its aggressive behavior is not reaping any benefits.
It is certainly not improving its image, while its military strength is being challenged due to the reluctance of major allies, most notably the US, to agree to sell to Turkey new advanced F-16 fighter jets and upgrade its fleet of older ones. Hence, the potential turnaround.
“Our president does not exclude anyone. If one step is taken, our president takes two steps. Various messages are coming. We are looking into them. I cannot say from now whether the meeting will take place or not. We will see what steps will be taken until then. It depends on the steps taken by the Greek side” Kalin noted.
Athens is and has always been open to dialogue. As the Greek PM noted at the UN, differences are not solved with aggressive behavior, imperial fantasies, and inflammatory rhetoric, but rather on the bases of rules for dispute resolution and international law.
Erdogan’s declaration that he will not talk to the Mitsotakis is just immature overreacting.
Relations between Greece and Turkey are too important for the stability of the wider region to be allowed to come to a halt, let alone deteriorate further into an even limited military confrontation. Not sure who should be making steps, how many and in what direction, but a well-prepared meeting of the two leaders in Prague would offer an opportunity for some straight talk and, through addressing misunderstandings, maybe lead to a path forward. It should be pursued by both sides.
CHART OF THE WEEK
Households have been returning to the Public Power Company (PPC) for their energy supply in an attempt to find shelter from soaring prices and some sort of stability during the prolonged energy crisis. In August, the first month of the new pricing system and the introduction of free switching between energy providers, the unofficial early data suggest there has been a record return of customers to PPC, about 7,500 households. The market share of PPC grew by almost 0.50% from 63.94% in July, to 64.41% in August. The competitive pricing of PPC is undeniably an attractive incentive, but it does not seem to be the only one as consumers seem to be seeking to forge a relationship of trust with their energy provider.
ESCAPADE
Mykonos: The International Playground that Never Sleeps
This island paradise has an almost limitless supply of amazing surprises in store for its visitors; even for those who are summer regulars.
Go to article >
ECONOMY IN A NUTSHELL
“The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index dropped below the 800-point mark and closed at 798.11 points, a 4.55% loss from last week. For the first time in 2022, there was a negative balance of 32,966 jobs in August as retirements and lay-offs exceeded new hirings.”
“The true impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on businesses in 2020 was revealed by a report released by the Hellenic Statistical Authority. It examined all major areas of economic activities in Greece, excluding agriculture and personal services. Indicatively, in comparison to 2019, turnover was down by almost 28 billion euros (-10.62%) and there were 168,834 fewer salaried workers (-8.52%).”
“The increased volume of electronic transactions has bolstered government coffers by as much as 500 million euros as they have limited tax evasion and increased VAT revenues. It should be noted that electronic transactions have increased by 62.5% since 2019, and accounted for approximately 50% of consumer expenditure in 2021.”
WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA
28/09/2022
Androulakis called to testify: PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis has been called to testify before the Parliamentary Inquiry Committee investigating the wiretapping of his phone. The decision to call no other witnesses has proved controversial, and it is unclear if Androulakis will answer the summons.
28/09/2022
Tsipras in Brussels: The leader of opposition party SYRIZA, Alexis Tsipras, will travel to Brussels to meet with Vera Jourova, Vice President for Values and Transparency of the European Commission, and to attend the unofficial unveiling of the ‘Manolis Glezos’ chamber at the European Parliament.
29/09/2022
Opening of the Athens Democracy Forum: Speakers at the 10th annual Athens Democracy Forum will include President of the European Commission Ursula Von Der Leyen, former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, and prominent academic Jeffrey Sachs.
30/09/2022
Extraordinary EU Energy Meeting: European Union Energy Ministers will meet in Brussels to reach a political agreement for a Council Regulation on emergency intervention aimed at easing the pressure of soaring energy prices.
Editor's Pick
The government’s response to the wiretapping scandal may prove to be a catalyst for minimizing or magnifying those risks.
Kostas Kallitsis
Read the article
PODCAST
22/09/2022 • 17:36
Elections, the anniversary of Lausanne, Turkey’s centennial, and Greek-Turkish relations
Ryan Gingeras, professor in the Department of National Security Affairs at the Naval Postgraduate School and author of the upcoming book “The Last Days of the Ottoman Empire,” joins me to look into how elections coupled with the weight of history on display next year could impact Greek-Turkish relations.
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