Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of The Odyssey hit the big screen this week. Whether you are a fan of Nolan’s work or not, the reactions and debates we’ve seen across the board remind us of Homer’s immortal appeal, and why the story of Odysseus’ return to Ithaca has captivated audiences around the world for three millennia.

As Daniel Mendelsohn wrote recently, “The Odyssey is a remarkably contemporary story not only because of its hero, but because of the nature of the world around him..” a “postwar world where the old certainties have disappeared.” Those watching current events unfold may have a similar feeling these days. 

With the ceasefire with Iran breaking down, we’re left with a good amount of uncertainty over what comes next. This is true for the Strait of Hormuz, for the Gulf, and by extension for the Eastern Mediterranean.

Bringing us to Greece, this uncertainty is playing out on the political scene, where debates about early elections are picking up steam, while SYRIZA, which was once in government, has been in free fall over the last years. A new round of resignations this week has many pondering if the party has completed its historical cycle.

In the spirit of Odysseus’ travels across the Mediterranean, we’re also heading to Turkey, where Ankara and Cairo took steps to deepen their ties when it comes to their defense cooperation and the defense industry.

Daniel Mendelsohn, Elisa Catalano Ewers, Nikos Konstantaras, and Vassilis Nedos join Thanos Davelis as we look into the timeless appeal of The Odyssey, the collapse of the ceasefire with Iran and its wider ramifications, the lessons from SYRIZA’s rise and fall, and the rapprochement between Turkey and Egypt.

A little more info on our guests:

Daniel Mendelsohn is the author of “An Odyssey: A Father, a Son, and an Epic”,  whose translation of "The Odyssey” was published in paperback this spring.

Elisa Catalano Ewers is a Senior Fellow for Middle East Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Nikos Konstandaras is a columnist with Kathimerini.

Vassilis Nedos is Kathimerini's diplomatic and defense editor.

You can support The Greek Current by joining HALC as a member here.

President Trump caused a stir this week at the NATO summit as he praised the host, Turkish President Erdogan, and ⁠said he was willing to lift sanctions on Turkey and sell Ankara F-35 fighter jets. 

These comments saw an immediate reaction on Capitol Hill as members of Congress urged House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries to be prepared to use every legislative tool available to prevent Turkey’s reinstatement into the F-35 program, reminding them that US law prohibits the transfer of F-35s to Turkey unless Ankara no longer possesses the Russian S-400 system. 

In the meantime, new reports emerged on Friday that a deal could be taking shape that would see Turkey transfer its S-400 missiles ​to an unnamed Gulf country in order to convince Washington to lift sanctions and pave the way for its re-entry into the F-35 program.

F-35s were not the only item on the NATO summit agenda making headlines. As reporters on the ground have noted, NATO leaders were also making quiet progress on a new kind of NATO that will see them take on more and more responsibility for the defense of Europe. Something that unfortunately, but predictably, did not receive the attention it deserves as world leaders gathered in Ankara was Turkey’s alarming human rights record.

Endy Zemenides, Steven Erlanger, Steven Cook, and Tyler Stapleton join Thanos Davelis this week as we explore the main takeaways from the NATO summit in Ankara, break down President Trump’s comments on selling F-35s to Turkey, discuss Western hypocrisy when it comes to human rights in Turkey, and look at the latest reports that a deal could be in play over the S400s.

A little more info on our guests:

Endy Zemenides is HALC's Executive Director.

Steven Erlanger is the chief diplomatic correspondent for The New York Times covering Europe.

Steven Cook is the Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Tyler Stapleton is the senior director of government relations at FDD Action.

You can support The Greek Current by joining HALC as a member here.

In a few days Turkey will play host to NATO’s leaders for a high-stakes summit that some anticipate could be historic. The two main protagonists at the summit will be President Trump, who has consistently slammed NATO since his return to office, and Turkish President Erdogan, who is likely to use this summit to present himself as an indispensable ally and attempt to legitimize his harsh crackdown on political dissent.

In the buildup to the summit we’ve seen President Trump approve a $700 million arms sale to Turkey of fighter jet engines, a move that’s seen as a “gift” to Erdogan. Vice President JD Vance has also raised eyebrows calling for a legal review of whether the conditions exist for a future transfer of F-35 fighter jets to Ankara. Both moves have caused a stir in Congress, and a joint resolution of disapproval was introduced in the House looking to block the sale of jet engines.

In the buildup to the summit we’ve also seen reports that Turkey is planning to allow the reopening, after more than 50 years, of Halki Theological seminary. The reports follow a meeting between Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Turkey’s Erdogan, and it is expected that the issue will feature during President Trump’s meeting with Erdogan on the sidelines of the summit.

Looking beyond this upcoming summit, this past month also marked 10 years since voters in the UK voted for Brexit. Brexit and Grexit - which was something many thought could be a possibility at the height of the financial crisis in Greece - had dominated the headlines at the time. Today, as the UK prepares for its seventh prime minister in 10 years, the trajectories of both countries couldn’t be starker. 

Aaron Stein, Ino Afentouli, Elizabeth Prodromou, and Simon Nixon join Thanos Davelis as we take a closer look at the stakes ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara, President Trump’s move to sell fighter jet engines to Turkey, reports that Halki seminary could reopen, and the lessons from Greece ten years after Brexit. 

A little more info on our guests:

Aaron Stein is the President of the Foreign Policy Research Institute.

Ino Afentouli is a Senior Policy Advisor and Head of the Observatory of Geopolitics and Diplomacy at ELIAMEP.

Dr. Elizabeth Prodromou is an expert on religious freedom issues and cultural heritage and a former vice chair and commissioner of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom.

Simon Nixon is an independent journalist, Kathimerini columnist, and the publisher of the Wealth of Nations newsletter.

You can support The Greek Current by joining HALC as a member here.

This week marked 30 years since Andreas Papandreou, the founder and longtime leader of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement - PASOK, passed away, and Greeks are taking this opportunity to reassess his legacy.

Consistently ranked among the most influential leaders of the post-junta era in Greece, Papandreou left his mark on Greek politics and society. Supporters will point to a charismatic leader who gave voice to the “unprivileged”, while his opponents slam him as a populist whose decisions continue to weigh on Greece. Regardless of where one falls on this spectrum, it’s undeniable that his impact on the country was profound. 

Harris Mylonas, Kostis Kornetis, Alan Makovsky, and Lambrini Rori join Thanos Davelis as we dig into Andreas Papandreou’s legacy, exploring what brought him to power, how he reshaped Greece’s political culture after the collapse of the dictatorship, his controversial approach to diplomacy and how this impacted US-Greece relations, and his lasting legacy in Greek politics today.

A little more info on our guests:

Harris Mylonas is a Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at George Washington University’s Elliott School and the producer of the documentary “Searching for Andreas”.

Kostis Kornetis is an assistant professor of contemporary history at the Autonomous University of Madrid, a lead historian at Greece’s National Research Institute, and author of the books A Collective Biography of Southern European Democratization and Children of the Dictatorship.

Alan Makovsky is a senior fellow for National Security and International Policy at the Center for American Progress who worked in the State Department from 1983 to 1994, where he covered southern Europe, including Greece, at the height of the Papandreou era.

Lambrini Rori is an assistant professor of political analysis at the University of Athens.

You can support The Greek Current by joining HALC as a member here.

The big news of the week is undoubtedly President Trump’s deal with Iran to bring an end to the war that has seen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint, shut for months. This agreement, as experts have been keen to point out, is just a start, creating a process for opening the Strait of Hormuz in the short run, and laying out a sixty-day timetable to address many other outstanding issues.

What will this mean for constraining Iran’s nuclear ambitions? How will it impact Israel’s war with Hezbollah in Lebanon? What will it mean for a rattled global economy that’s seen global trade disrupted and energy prices shoot up? How will a deal impact Europe, Greece and Cyprus? These are just a few questions swirling around in the wake of this deal.

Steven Cook, Vassilis Nedos, Ian Lesser, and Maria Demertzis join Thanos Davelis as we try to answer these questions, breaking down what this deal could mean for Washington, for the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean, for Europe, and for the global economy. 

A little more info on our guests:

Steven Cook is the Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Vassilis Nedos is Kathimerini’s diplomatic and defense editor.

Ian Lesser is the vice president and Brussels chief of the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

Maria Demertzis is a Professor of Economic Policy at the European University Institute.

You can support The Greek Current by joining HALC as a member here.

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.