Erdogan rhetoric indicative of difficulties ahead

The hostile comments by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday marking Turkey's "Victory Day," the anniversary of the defeat of the Greek forces in Asia Minor in 1922, are indicative of the difficulties that exist by definition in Greek-Turkish relations.

Although the statements have caused dismay in Athens, they came just days before the meeting of Foreign Ministers George Gerapetritis and Hakan Fidan in Ankara on September 5.

"Hostile statements are counterproductive and do not contribute to the consolidation of the climate of calm, cooperation and dialogue that is being attempted to be built in Greek-Turkish relations in the current period," the Greek Foreign Ministry said.

According to Kathimerini's Istanbul correspondent Manolis Kostidis, Erdogan said, among other things, that "our heroic army destroyed the enemy's fronts, and on August 30 it...