The Greek Current

The beginning of a shift in German policy when it comes to Turkey and Greece?

Episode Summary

Expert Constantinos Filis joins Thanos Davelis to discuss German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock's visit to Greece and Turkey, where she took a clear stance against Turkish revisionism and called out Ankara on its human rights record, and explore whether this is the beginning of a fundamental shift in Germany’s foreign policy when it comes to Turkey.

Episode Notes

Last week Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock traveled to Greece and Turkey, where she took a clear stance against Turkish revisionism in the region, stating in unequivocal terms that the sovereignty of Greece’s islands are not up for dispute. While in Turkey, she also made a point to raise issues related to human rights violations. These clear statements mark a shift in Berlin’s traditional policy that saw it maintain equal distances between Greece and Turkey and limit its criticism of Ankara’s track record on human rights and rule of law. Constantinos Filis, the Director of the Institute of Global Affairs and an associate professor of international relations at the American College of Greece, joins Thanos Davelis to discuss whether we are at the beginning of a fundamental shift in Germany’s foreign policy when it comes to Turkey, and look at what this could mean for Greece.

You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:

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Ukraine war: First grain ship leaves under Russia deal

Turkey plays politics with drillship’s sailing