A highly anticipated meeting between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was abruptly postponed after a last-minute request from Ankara.
According to diplomatic sources, the Turkish delegation informed Athens only four hours before the scheduled talks that President Erdogan would instead attend a meeting of Arab and Muslim leaders hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump. The gathering, set for 9:30 p.m. (Greek time), clashed directly with the planned Greek-Turkish meeting at 9:00 p.m. in New York.
The sudden postponement raised alarm in Athens, where officials had invested significant effort into organizing this bilateral engagement on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Opposition parties quickly reacted, with PASOK’s foreign affairs spokesman Dimitris Mantzos warning the move “sends the wrong signals at a critical geopolitical moment.” Similarly, SYRIZA’s Rena Dourou suggested it reflects the “marginalization of Greece.”
Despite the setback, both delegations remain in close contact to reschedule. Wednesday presents limited opportunities in the leaders’ packed agendas, keeping hopes alive for a meeting.
Prime Minister Mitsotakis is expected to address the UN Security Council on artificial intelligence and global security at 3:00 p.m. local time, before attending the Templeton Prize ceremony at 8:30 p.m. in honor of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. President Erdogan, meanwhile, has scheduled talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, a speech at the UN Climate Summit, and a press conference.
Athens has emphasized the importance of keeping Greek-Turkish communication channels open, particularly at the highest diplomatic level, despite Ankara’s unexpected move.
