The Greek Current

Turkey is eager to capitalize on its role in the Gaza ceasefire, and is now looking to have an active presence - even with troops on the ground - in a post-war Gaza. It seems President Trump also sees a role for Turkey here, something that is alarming Israel. Henri Barkey, an adjunct senior fellow for Middle East studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and the Cohen chair in international relations at Lehigh University, joins Thanos Davelis to take a closer look at this story, breaking down what it means for Washington and the region.

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An unlikely figure, Maria Karystianou, is at the heart of political speculation in Greece. Local media is filled with rumors that the mother of one of the victims of the deadly Tempe train crash and figurehead of a wave of protests that followed may enter politics, and polling shows she could draw in significant support. Nick Malkoutzis, the co-founder of Macropolis.gr, joins Thanos Davelis to look at this story, and break down what it tells us about the state of Greek politics today.

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Last week we looked into the US quest for energy dominance and what it means for Greece. This week energy is back on the agenda, as Greece plays host to top energy officials from the US, Cyprus, and Israel. These meetings also mark the first official appearance of US Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle in Athens. Vassilis Nedos, Kathimerini’s diplomatic and defense editor, joins Thanos Davelis as we explore whether energy diplomacy can give the “3+1” partnership a new boost, and what it means for the bilateral relationship to have a new US ambassador in Athens.

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A little over 2 years ago, the October 7th attack by Hamas shifted the world’s attention away from the newly announced India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, or IMEEC, a project Greece and Cyprus are also vying to play a key role in. With the Israel-Gaza ceasefire in place, is it now time to revive this project? Michael Rubin, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and director of policy analysis at the Middle East Forum, joins Thanos Davelis to break down why it’s time to refocus on IMEEC, and how Greece and Cyprus have the potential to be cruc...

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer just called Turkey’s purchase of 20 Eurofighter jets - a deal that has gotten a lot of attention - a “landmark moment.” This move comes as Turkey looks to fill gaps in its aging air-force, and as Ankara attempts to make up ground with countries like Greece and Israel.  Ryan Gingeras, a professor in the Department of National Security Affairs at the Naval Postgraduate School and an expert on Turkish, Balkan, and Middle East history, joins Thanos Davelis as we break down what Turkey is actually getting in this deal, and what it means for the...

Energy has become a critical piece of the puzzle for the Trump administration as it looks to project strength abroad, and it seems Greece is on Washington’s radar. Richard Goldberg, a senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and director of its newly established Energy and National Security Program, joins Thanos Davelis as we look at America’s quest for energy dominance and the potential for deeper cooperation on this front with Greece and other countries in the Eastern Mediterranean.

As we’ve seen time and time again in the past, the Greek diaspora has always played a key role in standing with Greece in its time of need. World War II was no exception. As Greeks delivered their famous “Ohi” - or “NO” to the Axis powers on October 28th, 1940, Greek-Americans also stepped up to the plate. Professor Alexander Kitroeff, a historian and expert on the Greek diaspora, joins Thanos Davelis as we explore how Greek-Americans took action, and how “Ohi” became a turning point for the Greeks in the US.

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Last week President Trump hit Russia’s biggest oil producers - Rosneft and Lukoil - with sanctions, a move many see as a major shift from the Trump administration that puts it on the same page as Europe when it comes to pressuring Moscow. Laurence Norman, the European reporter for The Wall Street Journal, joins Thanos Davelis as we look at this shift from President Trump and break down what it means for Europe and the war in Ukraine.

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U.S. Oil Sanctions Strike at...

The British Museum has once again stirred controversy with its latest “Pink Ball” dinner gala taking place in the hall housing the Parthenon Sculptures, a move that has elicited strong reactions from both Greece, cultural heritage experts, and leading advocates for the return of the Parthenon Sculptures to Greece. Professor Paul Cartledge, the Vice chairman of the British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles and a renowned scholar of ancient Greek history, joins Thanos Davelis as we break down why the British Museum’s glitzy gala only adds to the reunification cause.

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Earlier this month we saw Turkey issue a NAVTEX, or a navigational text message warning, for research in the Aegean Sea, a provocative move called out by Greece. This has once again put Turkey’s disregard for international law and contempt for Greece’s sovereignty in the spotlight. Elizabeth Samson, an international lawyer and Writing Fellow at the Middle East Forum whose work has appeared in major outlets like the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, joins Thanos Davelis as we dig into why it’s important to call out Turkey’s spurious claims over the Aegean.

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Turkish Cypriots went to the polls in the occupied northern part of Cyprus this weekend, electing a reportedly moderate candidate in Tufan Erhurman. His landslide victory, unseating hard-line incumbent Ersin Tatar, has led to cautious optimism that talks on the reunification of Cyprus could resume. Nektaria Stamouli, the deputy editor in chief of Kathimerini's English Edition and Politico's Eastern Mediterranean correspondent, joins Thanos Davelis as we break down the key takeaways from this election.

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Turkish Cypriots elect moderate leader in crucial policy switch

An issue that’s been top of mind in Greece for some time now is the demographic crisis. This isn’t unique to Greece, however, as it’s a problem most of Europe is also looking for answers to. Jacob Funk Kirkegaard, a Senior Fellow at Bruegel and a non-resident Senior Fellow with the Peterson Institute for International Economics, joins Thanos Davelis as we look at how an aging population is challenging Europe, and why migration remains an important part of the equation. 

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The macroec...

A few big headlines have come out of Brussels recently, including the presentation of the EU’s new "Pact for the Mediterranean", its executive body approving a 5-year defense road map that features plans for a “drone wall”, and  the debate about Turkey’s participation in the SAFE program. Alexandra Voudouri, Kathimerini’s Brussels correspondent, joins Thanos Davelis as we look into these developments and what they mean for Greece and Cyprus.

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EU presents new pact to reshape relations with Mediterranean countries

EU scramble...

While celebrating the Gaza ceasefire agreement in Egypt, President Trump made a point to single out Turkey’s President Erdogan, thanking him for his role in bringing about this deal. Erdogan is now eager to leverage this praise in order to become a key player in shaping Gaza's future. Can he achieve this? Sinan Ciddi, a non-resident senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and an expert on Turkish politics, joins Thanos Davelis as we look to answer this question, breaking down Turkey’s role in this ceasefire, Erdogan’s ambitions in Gaza, and what the Trump admini...

A recent report in the Financial Times has outlined how a state fund in Turkey has become one of the country’s largest business holdings, controlling over 1,000 companies. This comes in the wake of an anti-corruption drive that moved hundreds of private companies into government hands, raising the question: Is this asset grab politically-motivated? Wolfango Piccoli, the co-founder of risk analysis company Teneo, joins Thanos Davelis today as we dig into this story.

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Crackdown or capital grab? Turkey state fund controls 1,000 businesses

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Greece’s government recently tabled its budget for 2026, a budget that foresees a jump in spending, growth for the economy, and a drop in Greece’s debt. Yiannis Mouzakis, the co-founder of Macropolis.gr, joins Thanos Davelis as we dig into Greece’s budget, looking at some of the positive trends like increased revenue from electronic payments and Greece’s declining debt, while breaking down some of the potential challenges Greece still needs to pay attention to.

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State spending to jump €5 bln next year

Gover...

It’s safe to say President Macron has shown he is one of Europe’s most important leaders, but domestic challenges seem to be undercutting him on the global stage. Steven Erlanger, the chief diplomatic correspondent for The New York Times covering Europe, joins Thanos Davelis as we look to answer what this means for Macron and France, but also for Europe, especially as the continent looks to meet challenges ranging from defense spending to Ukraine.

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France’s Domestic Instability Has Weakened Its Diplomatic Clout<...

World leaders - including Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and President Nikos Christodoulides - are meeting today in Egypt to cement a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, and to help lay the foundations for broader regional stability. Tom Ellis, the editor in chief of Kathimerini’s English edition, joins Thanos Davelis as we look at why the Greek and Cypriot presence at this summit matters, and break down how Athens and Nicosia can play a stabilizing role here. 

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Greece to participate in Gaza peace sum...

Last month Turkey's President Erdogan and his loyalists blasted Cyprus for its purchase of Israeli Barak MX air defense systems, claiming it was a threat to Turkey, all while Turkish media has announced Ankara plans to send more occupation troops to Cyprus. William Doran, the co-author of the recent piece in Kathimerini titled “Erdogan’s imagined ‘arms race’ in Cyprus”, joins Thanos Davelis as we look at Erdogan’s hypocritical outrage here, and break down why Cyprus’ decision to upgrade its air defense systems in fact strengthens Eastern Mediterranean security.

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The latest European data shows that Greeks are working many more hours than their European counterparts, with one in five Greeks working more than 45 hours a week. This data comes amid wider discussions about productivity in Greece’s economy, developments in AI, and recent moves by the government to introduce a 6 day workweek and a 13-hour work day. Nikos Efstathiou, an Athens based journalist and author, joins Thanos Davelis as we dig into this story.

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Greeks work the longest in EU

General st...

Two years ago, on October 7th, the Middle East was upended after Hamas’ deadly attack against Israel. This had a clear ripple effect across the Eastern Mediterranean as well, impacting Greece and Cyprus. Vassilis Nedos, Kathimerini’s diplomatic and defense editor, joins Thanos Davelis as we look at the monumental shifts ushered in two years ago on October 7, and where they leave Greece and Cyprus today. 

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PM: Greece ready to support diplomatic efforts for peace in Gaza

Déjà Vu or a Peace B...

The headline political news coming out of Greece this week is former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’ resignation as a SYRIZA MP, a move that has many wondering if it’s only a matter of time before Tsipras announces a new party. The news also comes as polls and surveys show a lack of confidence among voters in the political system. Nick Malkoutzis, the co-founder and editor of Macropolis.gr, joins Thanos Davelis as we look at whether Tsipras is angling for a comeback and what impact this could have on Greece’s political scene.

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Recent reports, primarily in Bloomberg, indicate that Turkey anticipates a settlement to the Halkbank issue that would allow the bank - indicted in 2019 for conspiracy to evade US sanctions on Iran to the tune of tens of billions of dollars - to avoid a protracted legal fight and pay what it called a “manageable” fine. Thanos Davelis digs into this story with Jonathan Schanzer, the Executive Director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, as we look at the message such a settlement would send to others around the world about the seriousness of US sanctions.

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Kimberley Guilfoyle, the first woman to serve as US ambassador to Greece, was sworn in this week, and is expected in Athens soon. With the US-Greece relationship at historic heights, Ambassador Guilfoyle is now in a position to take it a step further. Endy Zemenides, HALC’s Executive Director, joins Thanos Davelis as we take a closer look at both the opportunities and the potential pitfalls that Ambassador Guilfoyle needs to be aware of as she looks to add her mark to the bilateral relationship.

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US officials and lawmakers seem to be increasingly concerned about China's global network of ports, including Greece’s port of Piraeus, and reports indicate the Trump administration is on a mission to weaken Beijing’s hand here. Dr. Elizabeth Economy, an acclaimed author and expert on Chinese domestic and foreign policy and a former senior advisor for China in the Department of Commerce, joins Thanos Davelis as we look into this dimension of the US-China power struggle, breaking down what it means for Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean.

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Turkey has been scrambling to contain the fallout from comments made by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan recently, who said that Turkey’s hyped-up KAAN fighter jet couldn’t be produced because of US CAATSA sanctions. He even said Ankara would seek alternative solutions if CAATSA is not lifted. Aaron Stein, the President of the Foreign Policy Research Institute, joins Thanos Davelis today as we explore whether Turkey’s KAAN fighter - and its defense industry at large - is hostage to CAATSA sanctions.

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Turkey scramb...

While in New York for the UN General Assembly, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis made a point to highlight Turkey’s long-standing threat of war against Greece - or the casus belli as it’s widely known - urging Ankara to finally lift it. John Psaropoulos joins Thanos Davelis as we dig into Turkey’s 30-year threat of war against Greece, which doesn’t only hang over Greek-Turkish relations like a dark cloud, but has wider implications for Europe, NATO, and the US. 

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PM urges Turkey to...

Turkish President Erdogan finally made his way back into the White House last week, meeting with President Trump as issues like the F-35s, the lifting of CAATSA sanctions, and Turkey’s purchase of Russian oil topped the list. Alan Makovsky, a senior fellow for the Center for American Progress and an expert on Turkey and US foreign policy, joins Thanos Davelis as we break down whether we’re seeing the revival of a bromance between the two leaders, and look at what this means for key issues like the sale of F-35s.

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While the world focuses on the UN General Assembly, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has also been in the US, holding key meetings in Washington and New York with President Trump, members of Congress, and world leaders. At the same time, his visit put a spotlight on the important role the Ecumenical Patriarch has played and continues to play on the environment, interfaith dialogue, and peacebuilding. Elizabeth Prodromou and Aristotle Papanikolaou join Thanos Davelis as we dig into Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s recent visit to the US.

Dr. Elizabeth Prodromou is a previous Vice Chair and Commissioner on the US...

Year after year Greece has seen record numbers of tourists arrive in the country, and all data indicates that this upward trend - which is a global phenomenon - will continue in the coming years. While this has been pivotal for Greece’s economy, it also raises a number of concerns about the future of Greek tourism and whether the current model is sustainable. Stathis Kalyvas, the chairman of the board of directors at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center and Gladstone professor of government at the University of Oxford, joins Thanos Davelis as we ask whether Greece needs to...

President Trump is about to roll out the red carpet for Turkey’s President Erdogan this week in the White House, with issues like a “large-scale” purchase of Boeing aircraft, a “big deal” for F-16s, and Turkey’s desire to acquire F-35s set to dominate the agenda. Sinan Ciddi, a non-resident senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and an expert on Turkish politics, joins Thanos Davelis as we break down what’s at stake and why the US is facing a moment of truth when it comes to Turkey.

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Chevron’s recent bid to explore in Greek waters and Secretary Doug Burgum’s recent visit to Greece have put energy in the spotlight, with the discussion shifting to how Greece and the US can work together to ensure a more secure energy future for the region. Constantinos Filis, the director of the Institute of Global Affairs and a professor of international relations at the American College of Greece, joins Thanos Davelis as we break down Chevron’s interest in Greece and look at how energy is set to take center stage in the US-Greece relationship.

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Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and President Trump’s calls for Europe to increase its defense spending have served as a wake up call for European governments who are committing to boost both military spending and investments in their defense sector. Max Bergmann, the director of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program and the Stuart Center in Euro-Atlantic and Northern European Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, joins Thanos Davelis as we look at where Europe is today on defense, and how this could impact the Transatlantic alliance.

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At the beginning of the year there was optimism in Europe that, despite a long to-do list, the Trump shock might lead to a “European moment”. Today, sluggish economic growth and political uncertainty seem to have stalled this momentum, with many wondering where Europe’s sense of urgency is. Simon Nixon, an independent journalist and the publisher of the Wealth of Nations newsletter, joins Thanos Davelis as we look at the challenges facing Europe and whether it can revive the sense of optimism in this “European moment”.

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Over the past days we’ve seen tensions rise in the Aegean, with the planned deployment of Turkey’s research vessel Piri Reis - which remains docked - raising eyebrows in Athens ahead of an expected meeting between Prime Minister Mitsotakis and President Erdogan on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Vassilis Nedos, Kathimerini’s diplomatic and defense editor, joins Thanos Davelis to take a closer look at these developments and at the state of Greek-Turkish relations today. 

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

Measured strain ahead of New York

The world’s attention will be on New York later this month, as world leaders prepare for the UN General Assembly. The Cyprus problem - one of the longest standing issues before the UN - will also be on the agenda, with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres scheduled to meet with President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar. In a slightly different approach to the issue, Michael Rubin, who joins Thanos Davelis, explains that the US has enabled Turkey’s occupation in Cyprus by granting Tatar - the leader of an illegitimate state - a visa to atte...

Israel’s recent airstrike targeting Hamas officials in Qatar seems to send a clear message that it is willing to go anywhere to eliminate Hamas. This has cast a cloud of growing concern in Turkey that it could be a target, especially considering President Erdogan’s open embrace of Hamas and his escalating rhetoric against Israel. Henri Barkey, an adjunct senior fellow for Middle East studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and the Cohen chair in international relations at Lehigh University, joins Thanos Davelis as we dig into this story.

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Earlier this month, as the new school-year kicked off around the world, Greece announced it was closing more than 750 schools as a sharp decline in births over the years has left them without enough students. The story has made the rounds on social media, even getting picked up and shared by figures like Elon Musk. Eleni Varvitstioti, the Financial Times correspondent for Greece and Cyprus and author of this report, joins Thanos Davelis as we take a closer look at this story and the broader demographic challenge facing Greece.

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This week a swarm of Russian heavy drones flew into Poland, a NATO member, and several of them were intercepted and shot down. The incident has raised a number of questions, as Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called it “a large-scale provocation”. Thomas Graham, a Russia expert and a distinguished fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, joins Thanos Davelis as we look at what this incident means for Europe, for NATO, and for ongoing talks on Ukraine.

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Russia Tests NATO With Poland Drone Brea...

US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum - and chair of the influential White House National Energy Dominance Council - will be the first cabinet-level official to travel to Greece this presidential term, highlighting Greece’s role as a key US partner on energy. At the same time, it looks like new developments on Capitol Hill could soon pave the way for US ambassador–nominee to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle to finally take up her post in Athens. Lena Argiri, the DC correspondent for ERT - the Greek Public Broadcasting Company - and Kathimerini, joins Thanos Davelis to break all of t...