President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis pledged to maintain the positive atmosphere regarding bilateral relations on the sidelines of the 78th session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Wednesday.
"The two leaders confirmed the positive climate in the relations between Türkiye and Greece and their determination to preserve it," the Presidential Communications Directorate said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"The leaders also confirmed the roadmap and timeline of contacts between the two countries, as agreed at the meeting of the Foreign Ministers in Ankara on September 5, which include: The meetings in mid-October of the Deputy Ministers for Foreign Affairs responsible for the political dialogue and the positive agenda; the meetings in November for the Confidence Building Measures; and the meeting of the Türkiye - Greece High-Level Cooperation Council on December 7 in Thessaloniki," it said.
The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and international issues.
"They discussed the phenomena of natural disasters and the climate crisis, particularly in the Mediterranean region, which have greatly affected both countries in the recent past," the directorate said.
In addition, the Turkish and Greek presidents agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in civil protection as a matter of top priority.
"They also agreed to work together to address the issue of migration, recognizing that this is a common challenge for both countries. The Foreign Ministers were tasked to continue work and coordination in order to take forward the agreed roadmap," it added.
The meeting was held closed to the press.
Erdoğan addressed the UNGA on Tuesday, highlighting various global issues, including the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, the Karabakh conflict, the Cyprus issue, anti-Muslim hatred and more.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met his Greek counterpart, George Gerapetritis, on Tuesday to discuss the meeting between the Turkish and Greek leaders.
Türkiye and Greece, two neighboring countries, have had a history of strained relations for decades, with persistent issues despite improvements observed in 2021.
Türkiye, a NATO member for more than 70 years, has expressed its objections to Greece's actions in the region in recent years, including the arming of islands near Turkish shores, which are demilitarized under treaty obligations. Ankara has argued that such actions undermine its sincere efforts to promote peace.
