Mitsotakis-Erdogan talks in New York suddenly postpone, Ankara withdraws hours before meeting

This development has raised concern and scepticism in Athens, where officials had invested considerable efforts in organising this bilateral engagement.

According to diplomatic sources, the Turkish delegation announced the Greek side just four hours before the scheduled meeting that President Erdogan would participate in a meeting of Arab and Muslim leaders organised by US President Donald Trump. This meeting, designed to take place at 9:30 (Greek age), directly coincided with the Greek-Turkish meeting, scheduled for 9: 00 a.m. in New York.

The postponement comes despite early co-ordination and efforts to adapt leaders' schedules under the UN General Assembly. The first signs of a postponement appeared Monday evening, after the hour of the Trump-organised event was made public. By Tuesday's noon, diplomats of the two countries suggested a postponement was possible.

Turkish adviser Akif Cagatay Kilic submitted the request to Greek counterpart Miltos Nikolaidis. Although the postponement was not entirely unexpected, it was met with concern from the Greek side.

Opposition parties in Greece reacted immediately. A spokesman for external affairs PASOK, Dimitris Mantzos, declared: “Posting the meeting at Turkey's request sends incorrect signals to a critical moment for the geopolitical situation.” Meanwhile, Rena Dourow of SYRIZA commented that the move suggests the “marginalisation of Greece”.

After the postponement, the two delegations remained in close contact to find a new time for the meeting. By Tuesday night, nothing was confirmed. Wednesday offers some minor gaps in the two leaders' agendas, leaving the possibility of the meeting still open.

Prime Minister Mitsotakis is expected to deliver a speech at 15:00 (in New York local time) at a UN Security Council activity on artificial intelligence and global security. Later, he will attend the Templeton Award ceremony at 20:30 in honour of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

President Erdogan, on the other hand, has a series of meetings planned, including one with French President Emmanuel Macron, a speech at the UN Summit on Klima and a press conference.

Despite recent developments, Athens continues to stress the importance of maintaining open Greek-Turkish communication channels, especially at the highest diplomatic levels.