This week was one full of developments for the Eastern Mediterranean. Top of the list was the announcement in Houston of a major milestone for the region, as the US, Greece, Cyprus and Israel inaugurated the East Med Energy Center, putting into action a major provision of the landmark 2019 EastMed Act, a key priority of HALC. Earlier in the week the East Med Gas Forum was also in the headlines, as ministers and senior representatives from Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Italy, the US, and the World Bank sat at the same table in DC. The meeting highlighted both Washington’s and Greece’s increasingly important role in shaping the region’s energy agenda. As we saw East Med countries expand their cooperation, Turkey’s increasingly confrontational posture in the region was on full display this week as its fighter jets interfered with a military aircraft carrying European defense officials to an EU meeting in Cyprus. Turning our attention to Greece, we’re shifting gears to look at an ongoing challenge facing the country, which is protecting its natural landscapes. With reports of small wildfires already popping up in local media, and given that last week was World Environment Day, we look into how groups like Ecogenia and the California Conservation Corps are partnering up in the field in this summer to protect Greece’s most valuable natural landscapes. Lena Argiri, Sinan Ciddi, Lia Papazoglou, and Annie Schroeder join Thanos Davelis this week as we look into the significance of the new East Med Energy Center, Turkey’s harassment of aircraft carrying European defense ministers to Cyprus, and the ongoing efforts to mobilize Greece’s youth around climate action. Stay tuned as we’re back with another “I am HALC” segment, this time turning our attention to Chicago’s Eleni Apostolopoulos Katsoulis, an attorney working at the intersection of healthcare and law that’s now also tackling the legal dimensions of AI. Recognized as a 40 under 40 attorney to watch in Illinois, Eleni is also a former president of the Hellenic Bar Association, a founding member of the Hellenic Legal Assistance Services pro bono clinic, a member of HALC’s first flagship Leadership 2030 class, and a dedicated mom. A little more info on our guests: Lena Argiri is the Washington, DC Correspondent for Greek Public Broadcasting (ERT) and Kathimerini. Sinan Ciddi is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and director of its Turkey program. Lia Papazoglou is the co-founder of Ecogenia. Annie Schroeder is a Project Coordinator for the California Conservation Corps. You can support The Greek Current by joining HALC as a member here.

With tensions running high in the Middle East, President Trump on Friday said Iranian leaders had not yet reached a deal with the US to end the ongoing war. President Trump has insisted that he’s in no rush to make a deal, and that he doesn’t care about how the ongoing war could impact the midterms. At the same time, fighting between Israel and Hezbollah is showing little sign of slowing down, despite attempts by the Trump administration to broker a cease-fire between the two.  These conflicts have sounded the alarm in Europe, especially in countries like Cyprus, where dealing with the fallout from these crises has become a key part of the national debate. This was the climate that Cyprus recently held parliamentary elections in, elections that saw anti-establishment parties gain ground. These elections can be seen as a benchmark of trends ahead of the upcoming 2028 presidential election. Meanwhile, a major tourist development project in Albania, with links to Jared Kushner, has become the focus of protests and political controversy that is even pulling Greece into the story. Local residents, including many ethnic Greeks living in the area, have expressed concerns about the project, with issues ranging from transparency and environmental concerns to long running disputes over property rights. Aaron David Miller, Nektaria Stamouli, and Yannis Papadopoulos join Thanos Davelis to explore the wider ramifications of the ongoing war with Iran and the fragile ceasefire in Lebanon, look at the latest parliamentary elections in Cyprus, and turn our attention to an evolving story in Albania, where a planned billion dollar tourist project is at the heart of controversy and protests that has had a spillover effect into Greek-Albanian relations. Taking us to our “I am HALC” segment, we’re highlighting one of HALC’s earliest members and a member of its first flagship Leadership 2030 team in Chicago, Peter Kourkouvis. An attorney making a name for himself in real estate law, he’s also playing an integral role in putting Greek culture - from the arts to music - in the spotlight in Chicago, setting up major tribute concerts dedicated to Rebetiko music, Mikis Theodorakis, and Manos Hatzidakis. A little more info on our guests: Aaron David Miller is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and expert on the Middle East. Nektaria Stamouli is the deputy editor in chief of Kathimerini's English Edition and Politico's Eastern Mediterranean correspondent. Yannis Papadopoulos is a journalist with Kathimerini. You can support The Greek Current by joining HALC as a member here.

On May 21st a Turkish court took the unprecedented step of removing the CHP’s elected leadership, led by Ozgur Ozel, the latest sign of Turkish President Erdogan’s tightening grip on the country. It’s also a sign that Erdogan intends to run for another term as president, and with Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in prison, this move can only mean one thing: Erdogan does not intend to leave the result of a future election up to chance. The opposition has vowed it will fight back, but the broader question is whether this is the last nail in the coffin for Turkey’s democracy. Can it recover, and if so, is this a fight it will have to undertake on its own? President Donald Trump’s praise of Erdogan as a “tough guy” who has “done a very good job”, and the EU’s wider focus on the transatlantic relationship and Ukraine, have many doubting if the West will bring any pressure down on Ankara. At the same time, another story is brewing in north Africa, where Turkey is looking to expand its influence in Libya. Recent reports are indicating a new Turkish push to engage with Benghazi, while we’ve also seen headlines hinting at US-Turkish coordination in Libya and a potential US effort to unify Libya. Greece is undoubtedly watching these developments closely, especially considering Turkey is likely to press Benghazi to support its illegal 2019 maritime agreement with Tripoli. Ayla Jean Yackley, Henri Barkey, Ambassador Marc Pierini, and Aya Burweila join Thanos Davelis as we break down the latest crackdown on Turkey’s opposition and its wider ramifications, while looking into what Turkey is up to in Libya. A little more info on our guests: Ayla Jean Yackley is an Istanbul-based journalist covering Turkey with stories in The Financial Times, Politico, and other major outlets. Henri Barkey is an adjunct senior fellow for Middle East studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and the Cohen chair in international relations at Lehigh University (Emeritus). Marc Pierini is a senior fellow at Carnegie Europe and former EU ambassador to Turkey. Aya Burweila is a widely published expert and public commentator on security with a special focus on Libya. You can support The Greek Current by joining HALC as a member here.

Greek politics is shaking up, as it seems the shift into campaigning is kicking into a higher gear. A major shakeup is underway within Greece’s opposition, as this week saw Maria Karystianou, the popular former president of the Tempe victims’ relatives’ association, announce she is stepping into the fray with a new party. In the coming days we’re also expected to see a similar announcement from former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras as he looks to establish himself as the candidate that can unite the left and challenge New Democracy. At the same time, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis made his case for a third term this past weekend at the New Democracy congress in a speech that dismissed early elections while effectively putting the party into pre-campaign mode. One of the most repeated lines of the congress was that ND is “more united than ever”, but the absence of former Prime Ministers Kostas Karamanlis and Antonis Samaras, and persistent rumours of a new party by the latter, have raised questions about how unified the party is. In the meantime, one of the top issues all parties will need to find answers to is the cost of living crisis and inflation. A recent report in Macropolis.gr outlined just how dramatically inflation has affected Greek households, with consumer prices increasing by 22.6% between January 2020 and December 2025. While cost of living is likely to dominate debates in the coming months, a number of issues on the foreign policy front are also likely to take center stage, including Turkey’s new “Blue Homeland” legislation, Greece’s support for Ukraine, the crisis in the Middle East, and relations with the US. Tom Ellis, Nick Malkoutzis, Yiannis Mouzakis, and John Psaropoulos join Thanos Davelis as we take a closer look at all of these stories and break down everything you need to know as Greece inches toward elections. A little more info on our guests: Tom Ellis is the editor in chief of Kathimerini’s English Edition. Nick Malkoutzis is the co-founder of Macropolis.gr. Yiannis Mouzakis is the co-founder of Macropolis.gr. John Psaropoulos is an independent journalist, Al Jazeera's correspondent in southeast Europe, and publisher of Hellenica on Substack. You can support The Greek Current by joining HALC as a member here.

Turkey is once again raising tensions in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean, this time putting countries in the region on alert as it prepares a “Blue Homeland” piece of legislation that would essentially enshrine Ankara’s maritime claims into domestic law. The move has Athens on alert, and the question everyone is wondering is whether Turkey is now turning its back on maintaining calm in the region - something that was agreed in Athens a few years ago. Beyond the Aegean and its maritime claims, Turkey is also looking to flex its muscles on the commercial side. This proposed bill comes as Ankara has been looking to send a message that it intends to have the final say on projects being developed in the region. We’ve seen this in Turkey’s interference with projects like the Great Sea Interconnector, while Ankara is now positioning itself as a direct rival to the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), a project backed by the US and the EU. While tensions simmer in the Aegean and the East Med, another story has been developing in the Ionian Sea, on the other side of Greece, where a suspected Ukrainian naval drone was discovered off the island of Lefkada. The news dominated headlines in Greece, and is raising concerns about the war in Ukraine spreading to the Mediterranean. Kostas Ifantis, Ryan Gingeras, Endy Zemenides, Sinan Ciddi, and Vassilis Nedos join Thanos Davelis this week as we explore what’s at stake in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean should Turkey move forward with its provocative “Blue Homeland” legislation, and what the discovery of a Ukrainian naval drone in Greek waters means for Greece and the region. A little more info on our guests: Kostas Ifantis is a Professor of International Relations at Panteion University of Athens who has previously served as Director for Research at the Policy Planning Center of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ryan Gingeras is a professor in the Department of National Security Affairs at the Naval Postgraduate School and an expert on Turkish, Balkan, and Middle East history. Endy Zemenides is HALC's Executive Director. Sinan Ciddi is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and director of its Turkey program. Vassilis Nedos is Kathimerini's diplomatic and defense editor. You can support The Greek Current by joining HALC as a member here.

President Donald Trump’s recent announcement that the US would pull five thousand troops from Germany took allies by surprise. The latest comments, which came in the wake of European criticism of the Iran war, were followed by a threat to impose a 25 percent tariff on automobiles and auto parts from Europe, as the US President claimed on social media that Europe was not living up to its end of a trade agreement struck last summer.  The two moves have experts and analysts wondering if this will further weaken the credibility of US deterrence in Europe, while at the same time bracing for the prospect of a renewed transatlantic trade war. Keeping one eye on the simmering tensions between the White House and the EU, we’re also turning our attention this week to a report that has gone viral recently. For those following international politics on platforms like X - formerly Twitter - they’re sure to have come across a page called “Clash Report”, which was also quick to post about the latest developments in the transatlantic relationship. What most people don’t know, however, is that Clash Report is the English-language arm of a Turkish media operation with close ties to the Erdogan family. These connections were unmasked this past weekend. Thanos Davelis dig into all of these developments with Max Bergmann, Maria Demertzis, and Eitan Fischberger as we break down what message the withdrawal of US troops from Europe sends, whether we should prepare for another US-EU trade war, and look at who is behind Clash Report and why it matters.  Moving to our I am HALC segment, we’re putting the spotlight on one of HALC’s earliest members, Stathis Theodoropoulos. Stathis is a successful entrepreneur and owner of Firefly Lighting, but beyond this entrepreneurial side, Stathis is also a dedicated advocate for his local community. Aside from his commitment to Hellenic causes, he serves as a councilman in Kearny, New Jersey, where he’s at the frontlines of making sure local government works for the communities it’s designed to serve.  A little more info on our guests: Max Bergmann is the director of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program and the Stuart Center in Euro-Atlantic and Northern European Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Maria Demertzis, a Professor of Economic Policy at the European University Institute. Eitan Fischberger is a journalist and Open Source Intelligence Investigator. You can support The Greek Current by joining HALC as a member here.