As Türkiye is embattled with the "disaster of the century," Greece's foreign minister arrived on Sunday in a show of support after the country was hit by devastating earthquakes seven days ago.
Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias was welcomed by his Turkish counterpart Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu at Şakirpaşa Airport in Adana, one of 10 provinces affected by the earthquakes. His arrival marks the first visit by a European minister to Türkiye since the quake. The two ministers traveled to Hatay, where Greek rescuers were helping with search and rescue operations. Dendias will also visit members of the Greek Aid Mission in the country.
Speaking at a press conference with Çavuşoğlu in Hatay, Dendias said Greece would continue its support to Türkiye to overcome the difficult days.
Çavuşoğlu said it was important for the two countries to support each other in difficult days, adding that they should not "wait for another disaster to hit one country to restore their relations," a sentence echoed by Dendias.
Despite a history of rivalry with Türkiye that goes back centuries, Greece was among the first European countries to send rescue workers and humanitarian aid on Monday, a few hours after the disaster.
Territorial and energy disputes have exacerbated regional rivalry. Still, the two neighbors, which lie on seismic fault lines, also have a tradition of helping each other in natural disasters. More than 28,000 people have been killed by Monday's 7.7 magnitude tremor, with many thousands injured and millions left homeless. Tens of thousands of rescue workers are scouring flattened neighborhoods despite freezing weather, which has deepened the misery of millions in desperate need of aid. The Greek government has sent 80 tonnes of medical and first aid equipment.
"The presence of Dendias here today shows the solidarity of the Greek government and people with Türkiye. Greece was one of the first countries to call us (for condolences) and extend humanitarian support in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake," Çavuşoğlu said. "They immediately sent search and rescue crews and several planes loaded with humanitarian aid. We met the Greek search and rescue team here, and they have worked nonstop since they arrived here. We witnessed how they and the entire Greek nation were overjoyed when a victim is rescued alive," he said. The Turkish foreign minister said harsh times prove the goodness of neighbors, citing Greek aid after the 1999 earthquake and subsequent Turkish aid to another earthquake that struck Greece shortly after the 1999 disaster in Türkiye. "I remember seeing a feature story in Time magazine back then, and I penned a reader's letter to them. In my letter back then, I said that we don't have to wait for a disaster to hit one of us to improve our relations," he recounted. "I hope we turn to dialogue to resolve our differences. I am grateful to my friend Dendias, the Greek government, and the people of Greece for their support," the minister said.
Dendias reiterated Greece's condolences for the victims and good wishes for survivors and thanked Çavuşoğlu for his pleasant words for Greece and its rescue crews. "We visited crews, including those from Austria and the Netherlands. Together with Greek crews, European teams rescued 205 people here," he said.
The Greek foreign minister pledged that Greek support for Türkiye will "not end here." "Our Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis instructed us to continue it," he said.
