The internal pressures facing the Greek political leadership may alter the context in which it will sit down to discuss with President Erdogan the resolution of the Greek-Turkish disputes, Hakan Fidan said on Friday during a briefing for reporters.

The Turkish foreign minister acknowledged the positive climate between the two countries, stressing that Western Thrace should be included in the Aegean disputes, while referring to the Cyprus issue, he clarified that finding a solution is purely a matter of leadership, although in previous recent statements he insisted on a two-state solution and abandoning the framework of UN Security Council resolutions for a bizonal bicommunal federation.

In his opening statement on Greek-Turkish relations, the Turkish minister said:“In 2024 we maintained the positive momentum we have achieved with Greece in our relations. Keeping our dialogue alive at a high level, with mutual visits, God willing, we will continue at this pace in the new year. We continue to address our existing disagreements with Greece within the framework of the well-functioning bilateral dialogue mechanisms. It is in the interest of both countries and the region to act in the spirit of good neighbourliness.”

Asked about the meetings between the leaders of the two countries and the issues that may be brought up for discussion, Fidan said: “The positive relationship between Turkey and Greece, especially the positive relationship that started at the leaders’ level, really ensures a good environment for better resolution of the problems we inherited from the near and distant past and we are trying to continue that. At the moment, the problems have two aspects, the first being the problem itself. That is, when two logical minds meet in a field without domestic and foreign political influence, there is the question of how to look at the issues in the Aegean and our other issues in Western Thrace. Here we have intensification. But on the other hand, there is also the picture that emerges when factors from the surrounding environment, especially from domestic politics, come into play.”

He continued: “Of course, at this point, we see that the internal political pressure on the Greek side is shaping a different scope for managing the existing problems. That is, I think that if the internal pressure only took into account the real interests, as is the case in Turkey, there could be a more rational field. And on this point, of course, we understand the position in which our interlocutors, in particular the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister, find themselves. This is a reality. So we will continue on our way. As long as we do not lose our focus, as long as we maintain our intention, as long as we have the support of our people, there is of course some loss of time, but in the end we continue to move forward with determination. I believe that in the coming period, as long as Greek and Turkish public opinion supports this process, we can go a positive distance. The important thing is leadership courage. [The important thing is] who will express the political support and the approval that public opinion gives him in solving the problem with high leadership. Because our President has shown and demonstrated many times that he is ready on many issues, and we see that Mitsotakis also has a serious determination on this point. Hopefully he will take significant steps in that direction, particularly by making use of 2025 before the two countries enter the election cycle.”

Asked afterwards how he sees relations between Greece and Turkey evolving in the coming years and the progress that could be made in resolving the Cyprus issue, Fidan said: “You ask me what I personally would like to see in the next 10 years… I expressed this in the press conference I held the day before yesterday in ‘tdvk’: What I would like to see in Cyprus, frankly, is an environment in which both the Greek Cypriot side and the Turkish Cypriot side, Greece and Turkey, will all solve their problems together and turn the Aegean and the Mediterranean into an area of peace, development and prosperity. And there is no reason why this should not happen. There is no reason why this should not happen. I sincerely believe that we can solve these issues with a little bit of courage, without losing anything and without changing our present life. There are, of course, historical feelings that we carry from the past. There are historical political interactions that affect today as well.”

“A different reality has now taken shape. How can we manage the present reality and the past emotions we carry within us? You know, there is a need for political leadership here, frankly.
I see right now that the leaderships of both countries want to do that. With God’s help, let’s not leave a big tangle of problems to future generations, that is, as we inherited it from previous generations. May we solve it and not leave it to future generations. But as I said, it is necessary to keep working,” the Turkish minister added.