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Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias is unlikely to attend a high-level meeting between Turkish and Greek leaders in Ankara on Wednesday, citing a scheduling conflict that some sources believe may reflect deeper political positioning within the Greek cabinet.
Dendias reportedly plans to attend an EU defence ministers' summit in Brussels on the same day, officials told Middle East Eye. However, sources familiar with his thinking suggest the Brussels summit serves as a convenient excuse to avoid the Ankara meeting, allowing him to maintain his stance as a hardline voice on Türkiye within the Greek government.
A Greek official cautioned that the final attendee list from the Greek side has not been finalized and could still change.
The anticipated absence comes as Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis prepares to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara for the bilateral High-Level Cooperation Council's first gathering since 2024. The meeting represents part of a broader thaw in relations between the two NATO allies, which reinstated communication channels in 2023 after Ankara suspended energy exploration activities in disputed Eastern Mediterranean waters.
The defence minister has positioned himself to the right of Mitsotakis on Turkish policy, despite the prime minister's own history of confrontational stances. Mitsotakis previously lobbied the U.S. Congress against arms sales to Türkiye, damaging ties between the NATO partners.
In January, Dendias stated that Greece reserves the right to extend its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles, a declaration that directly contradicts a 1995 Turkish parliamentary decision describing such action as casus belli, or cause for war.
Türkiye responded last month by issuing a NavTex - a legal advisory to mariners - outlining objections to Greek activities in the Aegean Sea. Ankara claims these activities violate international law and has called for coordination. The notice marked the first time such an advisory was issued without an expiration date, unlike previous temporary warnings from both nations.
In December, Dendias described Türkiye as "the greatest threat" to Greece and announced plans to further militarize Aegean islands through the "Achilles' Shield" project.
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Officials speaking to Middle East Eye believe Dendias's decision reflects both his established rhetorical positions and growing domestic pressure within Greece. Criticism has mounted within Greek public opinion regarding Mitsotakis's planned visit to Türkiye following the NavTex declaration and Greek reports of increased Turkish airspace violations, which Türkiye disputes as occurring in contested airspace.
Mitsotakis may be responding to populist sentiment ahead of next year's elections, as his political standing has improved following tougher rhetoric toward Türkiye.
A CNN Turk correspondent reported Sunday that Dendias continues his confrontational stance, which has elevated his domestic political profile. His approach is not new: during an April 2021 visit to Ankara as foreign minister, Dendias broke an agreement with his Turkish counterpart to deliver only prepared remarks, instead accusing Türkiye of violating Greek sovereign rights during a joint press conference.
Dendias has also emerged as a leading advocate for a Greece-Cyprus-Israel alliance positioned against Türkiye.
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