Archbishop Elpidophoros Slams Turkey as Erdogan Celebrates Hagia Sophia Anniversary
Archbishop Elpidophoros Slams Turkey as Erdogan Celebrates Hagia Sophia Anniversary Hagia Sophia, the Byzantine cathedral which served as the seat of Eastern Christianity for nearly one thousand years, is now a mosque. Credit: Greek Reporter The Greek Orthodox Archbishop of America Elpidophoros issued a statement on Saturday on the occasion of the first anniversary of […]
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UN Security Council Slams Turkey on Varosha Plans in Cyprus
UN Security Council Slams Turkey on Varosha Plans in Cyprus The UN Security Council – Public Domain The Security Council of the United Nations (UN) issued a strong statement against Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot regime on Friday in regards to the recent announcements about Varosha in Cyprus. This Presidential Statement of the UN came […]
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Merkel praises Turkey over refugees but does not see it joining EU
Merkel praises Turkey over refugees but does not see it joining EU German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday praised Turkey for hosting large numbers of Syrian refugees as part of an agreement with the European Union and said she wanted close relations with Ankara but did not anticipate Turkish membership of the EU. “Turkey is […]
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Cyprus Gains Momentum in US Politics; UN Calls on Turkey to Reverse Course
Cyprus Gains Momentum in US Politics; UN Calls on Turkey to Reverse Course Congress is alarmed on developments in Cyprus following the Turkish provocations. Public domain The Cyprus issue is gaining momentum in US politics across the aisle after the latest provocation by Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots to announce the reopening of part of […]
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Biden committed to maintaining Turkey sanctions over S-400
Biden committed to maintaining Turkey sanctions over S-400 US President Joe Biden is committed to maintaining sanctions on Turkey under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) for buying Russian S-400 missile defenses and would impose further sanctions if Ankara bought additional major arms systems from Moscow, a senior US diplomat said on Wednesday. […]
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Menendez says US must assume ‘assertive role’ toward Turkey
Menendez says US must assume ‘assertive role’ toward Turkey Senator Bob Menendez, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has slammed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for saying that a peace accord between two sovereign states is the only viable option for Cyprus. Turkey’s strongman repeated the call for a “two-state solution” during a […]
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Turkey says part of Cyprus ghost town to reopen; EU, UK, US object
Turkey says part of Cyprus ghost town to reopen; EU, UK, US object Turkish Cypriot authorities announced on Tuesday a partial reopening of an abandoned town for potential resettlement, drawing a strong rebuke from rival Greek Cypriots of orchestrating a land grab by stealth. Varosha, an eerie collection of derelict high-rise hotels and residences in […]
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US Warns Turkey on “Provocative and Counterproductive” Cyprus Stance
US Warns Turkey on “Provocative and Counterproductive” Cyprus Stance Varosha, Cyprus. Credit: TomasNY /CC BY 2.5 The United States sent a stern warning to Turkey on the anniversary of the invasion of Cyprus in 1974, saying it stands opposed to any unilateral decision to open Varosha, which was established as a no-man’s land by UN decree. […]
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Greece, Cyprus Condemn Turkey’s Move to Open Part of Varosha
Greece, Cyprus Condemn Turkey’s Move to Open Part of Varosha Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side announced the re-opening of part of Varosha in Famagusta. Credit: Greek Reporter/Rena Choplarou Greece and Cyprus condemned on Tuesday the announcement made by Turkey and its puppet regime in the north of Cyprus to open a part of Varosha […]
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Mitsotakis urges Turkey to abandon threats against Cyprus, Turkish Cypriots
Mitsotakis urges Turkey to abandon threats against Cyprus, Turkish Cypriots Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Tuesday marked the 47th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, calling for a peace settlement that reunifies Cyprus in a bizonal, bicommunal federation. “It’s time Turkey abandoned the meaningless policy of threats against Cyprus and the Turkish Cypriot […]
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Cyprus Marks Anniversary of Invasion as Turkey Reopens Part of Varosha
Cyprus Marks Anniversary of Invasion as Turkey Reopens Part of Varosha The President of the Republic, Nicos Anastasiades, at the memorial service for the fallen during the Turkish invasion. Credit: Cyprus Presidency Cyprus marked the anniversary of the Turkish invasion of 1974, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his close ally Turkish Cypriot leader […]
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The Haunting Tragedy of the Turkish Invasion of Cyprus
The Haunting Tragedy of the Turkish Invasion of Cyprus The invasion of Cyprus in 1974 by Turkey. Credit: Facebook/Nakvat Hatikva Hakimov The day of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, July 20, 1974, was the day time stopped for Cyprus, a day of infamy when the course of the nation’s history changed forever. For Cypriots, the […]
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EU Court Ruling on Headscarves Ban Condemned by Turkey
EU Court Ruling on Headscarves Ban Condemned by Turkey Women with headscarves in Alanya, Turkey. Credit: ozgurmulazimoglu , CC BY 3.0/Wikipedia Commons Turkey on Sunday denounced a judgment by the Luxembourg-based European Court of Justice (ECJ) to allow companies to ban the wearing of headscarves under “certain conditions”. The ruling was made on Thursday after […]
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Moment of truth for US on Cyprus
Moment of truth for US on Cyprus The strained relationship between the United States and Turkey is like a ship adrift at sea. The relationship’s North Star – the NATO alliance – was lost when Ankara stubbornly went forward with its purchase of Russian S-400s over repeated and strenuous US objections. It is also not […]
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Catalca: The Turkish Town Full of Greek Speakers
Catalca: The Turkish Town Full of Greek Speakers Greek-speaking residents of Catalca, Turkey. Credit: Constantine Garelas/Screenshot There is a Turkish town called Catalca in the rural district of Istanbul that is full of Greek speakers, many of whom have a distinct northern Greek accent. A recent video filmed by Constantine Garelas shows a group of […]
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The Erdogan-Herzog call and speculation about improved ties between Israel and Turkey
The Erdogan-Herzog call and speculation about improved ties between Israel and Turkey Dr Michael Koplow joins The Greek Current to discuss the call that took place this week between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Israeli President Isaac Herzog, and Israeli-Turkish ties. Koplow also discusses his latest piece, where he makes the case that Israel’s […]
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Turkey marks 5th anniversary of crushed military coup
Turkey marks 5th anniversary of crushed military coup Turkey marked the fifth anniversary of a failed military coup with a series of events Thursday commemorating the people who died trying to quash the uprising against the government. The observances kicked off with visits to grave sites and memorials honoring the dead, where prayers were held. […]
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Greece, EU Have a Legal Case Against Turkey Violating Refugee Deal
Greece, EU Have a Legal Case Against Turkey Violating Refugee Deal Migrants and refugees at Kara Tepe in Lesvos in September, 2020. Credit: Greek Ministry of Migration Greece and the EU have a legal case against Turkey’s violation of the refugee deal, says Todd Carney, Harvard graduate and specialist in international law. By Todd Carney* […]
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Senators Urge Biden to Halt Turkey’s Provocation in Cyprus Varosha
Senators Urge Biden to Halt Turkey’s Provocation in Cyprus Varosha Turkey plans to open the coastal town of Varosha in Cyprus in contravention of the UN. Credit: Rena Choplarou/Greek Reporter High-ranking Senators asked President Biden on Wednesday to utilize both bilateral and multilateral channels to pressure Turkey to halt its provocations in Cyprus’ Varosha. Foreign […]
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NGOs decry designation of Turkey as safe country
NGOs decry designation of Turkey as safe country Nongovernmental organizations have slammed the decision by the ministries of Migration and Foreign Affairs designating Turkey as a safe third country for asylum seekers from Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia, Pakistan and Bangladesh, saying it will result in thousands living in Greece without papers and without protection. In an […]
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July 15, 1974: The Cyprus Coup that Gave the Pretext for Turkey to Invade
July 15, 1974: The Cyprus Coup that Gave the Pretext for Turkey to Invade A tank is seen in the streets of Nicosia on July 15, 1974. Public Domain On July 15,1974, a military coup took place in Cyprus instigated by the junta in Athens, giving Turkey the pretext to invade five days later. The […]
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Turkey puts Hague court on the table
Turkey puts Hague court on the table In what was seen as a message to Greece, Turkish Energy Minister Fatih Donmez on Tuesday ruled out the possibility of seismic surveys by Turkish ships in the area between the islands of Rhodes and Crete since last year’s exploratory activities by the Turkish Oruc Reis vessel had not […]
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Greece concerned about Germany’s submarine deal with Turkey
Greece concerned about Germany’s submarine deal with Turkey Dr Emmanuel Karagiannis joins The Greek Current to talk about a $4 billion deal between Germany and Turkey which will see Ankara purchase six German-designed submarines that could “reshape the naval balance between Greece and Turkey.” We break down this deal and what it means for Greece […]
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Turkey summons Greek envoy over Galatasaray PCR test row
Turkey summons Greek envoy over Galatasaray PCR test row The Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned on Tuesday Greek Ambassador Michael-Christos Diamessis to express its “strong protest” to the treatment of the Galatasaray soccer club ahead of a friendly match in Athens a day earlier, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported. Galatasaray pulled out of a game […]
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Greece, Turkey in Diplomatic Spat over Galatasaray Covid Tests
Greece, Turkey in Diplomatic Spat over Galatasaray Covid Tests Galatasaray players and officials await in the lounge of the Athens International airport before they returned to Turkey. Credit: Twitter/Galatasaray Turkey’s football club Galatasaray pulled out of a friendly match against Olympiacos accusing Greece of discrimination after its officials refused to accept the players’ Covid tests. […]
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Memorial Tomb of Ancient Greek Astronomer Aratus Unearthed in Turkey
Memorial Tomb of Ancient Greek Astronomer Aratus Unearthed in Turkey Soli Pompeipolis, Turkey. A memorial tomb for the ancient Greek astronomer Aratus was found here. Credit: Carole Raddato/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 2.0 Archaeologists working in the ancient Greek city of Soli Pompeipolis in the southern Mersin province in Turkey have unveiled the memorial tomb of the […]
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Germany Supports Turkey in the Aegean Over EU Ally Greece
Germany Supports Turkey in the Aegean Over EU Ally Greece U-214-type submarine of the Portuguese Navy, Credit: Pedro Vilela/Wikipedia CC BY 2.0 Greece has decried Germany for supporting Turkey after Berlin’s decision to sell six new submarines to Ankara, even after the country’s hostile rhetoric. In June, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias asked Berlin to […]
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The problem of cultural looting in Turkey
The problem of cultural looting in Turkey Simon Maghakyan, a Tufts University visiting scholar and University of Colorado Denver lecturer, joins the Greek Current to talk about a recent US government publication of restricted cultural property imports originating in Turkey, and the cultural “looting industrial complex” of minority cultural heritage sites within Turkey. Source : […]
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Erdogan’s New Lavish Mansion is Raising Eyebrows in Turkey
Erdogan’s New Lavish Mansion is Raising Eyebrows in Turkey Marmaris, Turkey, where Erdogan’s summer palace is. Credit: Seyfi Seren, CC BY-SA 2.0 New photos of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s summer vacation mansion have been released, and it’s apparent that Turkey’s president has no reservations over displaying excessive luxury: the 85,000 square meter palace has five […]
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Reopen the Greek-Turkish borders: Why it makes sense now
Reopen the Greek-Turkish borders: Why it makes sense now Greece’s air, land, and sea borders with Turkey have been closed, barring a few exceptions, for over one-and-a-half years. Early in the Covid-19 pandemic, there were a number of legitimate reasons for such measures, yet it makes sense now to reopen Greek-Turkish borders. When upon meeting […]
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