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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis are expected to meet in New York on Tuesday on the sidelines of the 80th U.N. General Assembly, Greek daily Kathimerini reported Friday citing officials.
Erdoğan departs Monday for New York, where he is due to address the General Assembly on Tuesday, while Mitsotakis is slated to speak on Friday. While no major breakthroughs are anticipated, the meeting could serve to maintain the “calmer waters” atmosphere of recent months. Discussions may touch on specific issues, including a possible electricity interconnection project.
The leaders’ meeting takes place amid heightened tensions in the Aegean. Ankara on Friday issued a second Navtex after Greece launched military exercises in the region, reiterating that 23 Greek islands remain permanently demilitarized and that no military activity would be permitted in their territorial waters. A previous Turkish Navtex authorizing research by the vessel Piri Reis also drew objections from Athens, though the ship was observed in Izmir Bay late Thursday, signaling that diplomatic channels remain active.
Other Greek-Turkish contacts are possible during the week. A likely meeting between Foreign Ministers George Gerapetritis and Hakan Fidan would extend ongoing communications and provide an opportunity to address regional developments.
Military exercises have further heightened sensitivities. Athens recently conducted an unscheduled “Delta Force” drill, while Türkiye carried out four separate exercises in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean, including one with Egypt. Ankara has also voiced concern over developments that it says favor Greece in the Eastern Mediterranean, including U.S. energy company Chevron’s reported interest in offshore blocks south of Crete.
Military exercises have heightened regional sensitivities. Athens recently conducted an unscheduled “Delta Force” exercise, while Türkiye carried out four separate drills in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean, including one with Egypt.
The Cyprus issue is also expected to be part of the agenda. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is scheduled to meet Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus President Ersin Tatar and Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides on Sept. 27. While significant progress is unlikely before the upcoming elections in the TRNC, Guterres has expressed intent to restart negotiations despite the collapse of talks at Crans-Montana in 2017.
Türkiye and Greece, long-time rivals, continue to face disputes over maritime rights, energy exploration and the militarization of islands. Recent actions, including Türkiye’s designation of marine protected areas off the Northern Aegean and the Mediterranean coast between Fethiye and Kaş, reflect Ankara’s emphasis on defending its maritime sovereignty. Greece criticized these moves as unilateral, while both sides maintain high-level diplomatic channels.
Since late 2023, Erdoğan and Mitsotakis have sought a fragile normalization of ties, signing the Athens Declaration on Friendly Relations and Good Neighborliness in December 2023 and holding subsequent high-level meetings to address disputes over the Aegean, Cyprus, and migration. Despite these efforts, disagreements persist over maritime boundaries, energy rights and competing strategic initiatives in the Eastern Mediterranean. Analysts say these unresolved issues, combined with military posturing, leave the region’s stability fragile and the diplomatic process sensitive.
