The Erdogan visit, a different choreography
A lot has been said and written comparing the very different visits paid to Athens by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, both taking place on December 7, the previous one in 2017 and the most recent one in 2023.
The image portrayed by the then president of the Hellenic Republic during the first visit - that of an institutionally weak head of state, sitting cornered on the sofa of his own Presidential Mansion, and addressing the strongman of Turkey seated confidently in the middle of the sofa in an almost apologetic tone - remains etched in the minds of Greeks as a disturbing and disheartening moment.
The choices made, the entire planning of that visit, were unfortunate to say the least, from an aesthetic perspective but also from an essential point of view, as appearances do affect the overall mood. Prokopis Pavlopoulos picked the wrong place and the wrong time...
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