Fidan targets Dendias ahead of Mitsotakis–Erdogan meeting

Just hours before the highly anticipated meeting between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan sharply escalated rhetoric by directly targeting Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias.

Speaking to CNN Turk, Fidan claimed that while Prime Minister Mitsotakis and Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis possess both the “will and the capability” to resolve long-standing strategic issues between Greece and Turkey, progress is being hindered by a specific political actor: Nikos Dendias and the domestic audience he addresses.

“I genuinely believe they have the intention and the ability,” Fidan stated. “But there is one person called Dendias, and there is also the political audience he appeals to. Political competition, unfortunately, does not create an environment conducive to resolving such strategic problems within Greek politics.”

A calculated political message

Fidan’s remarks are widely interpreted not as a routine diplomatic observation, but as a deliberate political intervention aimed at shaping the internal dynamics of Greek politics on the eve of the Supreme Cooperation Council meeting between the two countries.

The comments come at a sensitive moment, as Athens and Ankara attempt to manage a complex agenda that includes disputes in the Aegean Sea, the Eastern Mediterranean, migration flows, and broader security concerns. By singling out the Greek Defence Minister, the Turkish Foreign Minister effectively places responsibility for stalled progress on a specific figure within the Greek government.

Framing Turkey as “ready for dialogue”

Through his remarks, Fidan sought to project Turkey as open and willing to pursue solutions, while portraying Greece as constrained by internal political considerations and electoral pressures. According to analysts, this narrative aligns with Ankara’s long-standing strategy of applying political pressure ahead of critical bilateral engagements.

Whether the public criticism will affect the atmosphere of the Mitsotakis–Erdoğan talks remains to be seen, or whether it will be absorbed as yet another episode of heightened rhetoric in the often volatile landscape of Greek-Turkish relations.

Source: pagenews.gr