Davutoglu wants media circus in Thrace

According to newspaper reports citing sources in Athens, the Greek Foreign Ministry has received a request from the Turkish government for the country’s Prime Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, to visit the region of Thrace together will ten other ministers and government officials, following his upcoming meetings with the Greek government.

It is believed that the Turkish government desires to effectively stage a de facto cabinet meeting in Thrace with all of the symbolism that entails. It is likely that such a visit, should it occur, will be triumphantly reported on in the Turkish press. So far any knowledge of a such a request has been denied by the Greek foreign ministry.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is to meet his Turkish counterpart, Ahmet Davutoglu, for the 3rd Supreme Greece - Turkey Cooperation Council to be held in Athens on the 5-6th of December. The meeting is an opportunity for the two sides to make progress toward defusing the recent tensions in the Aegean.

However the new Turkish request now casts a shadow on the upcoming ‘Supreme Cooperation Council’ before it has even begun.  While on the one hand such requests are difficult for the Foreign Ministry to turn down, on the other it calls into question just how willing the Turkish government is to truly cooperate with its neighbor.