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Greece stresses 'positive turn' in relations with Türkiye

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias says the rapprochement in bilateral ties follows a new level of cooperation between Athens and Ankara after the recent disasters in both countries.

Reuters

Greece was among the first countries to convey condolences and extend aid to Türkiye following the deadly February 6 earthquakes.

Greece has underlined a recent "positive turn" in relations with Türkiye in the wake of disasters in both countries.

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said on Thursday that this "new reality" is reflected in the countries’ joint statement following his recent meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, in the Turkish capital, Ankara.

Speaking to the Greek daily, Proto Thema, Dendias said the rapprochement between Athens and Ankara happened in recent months following the disasters in both countries.

Though the Greek government is fully aware of the difficulties in relations between the two countries, Dendias said that Greece has an "obligation" to respond to Türkiye's outreach.

"Greece has an absolute duty to step through the door Türkiye has opened."

Greece was among the first countries to convey condolences and extend aid to Türkiye following the February 6 earthquakes.

Likewise, Türkiye was the first country to offer condolences and aid following a February 28 train accident in northern Greece that left at least 57 people dead.

After the accident, Türkiye allowed the transfer of a Greek prisoner to Greece to attend his son's funeral.

On March 20, Cavusoglu and Dendias also met in Brussels and agreed that Türkiye will support Greece’s campaign for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council in 2025-2026.

Meanwhile, Athens also declared that it will support Ankara’s candidacy for secretary general of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).