Türkiye wants to turn the Aegean into a sea of peace and friendship, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Thursday alongside Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis as the pair met in Athens to build on the positive momentum after years of tension.
“There is no problem that cannot be solved between us,” Erdoğan told reporters, adding that it was “natural of two neighbors who share the same landscape to have differences of opinion.”
Ankara has the will to resolve all outstanding disputes with its neighbor, Erdoğan said, adding that convening the fifth round of high-level cooperation council which was halted six years ago, was a sign of “our good intentions.”
“Türkiye and Greece aspire to set an example to the world with the steps we will take,” he noted.
Along with a large delegation, Erdoğan was in Athens for the first time since 2017 after a long period of tension marked by spats over migration, energy exploration in the Aegean and territorial sovereignty.
Earlier, he met his Greek counterpart, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, who expressed hope for relations to develop on “a firm ground, which would help both sides.”
He and Mitsotakis agreed to advance relations on the “highest level” while emphasizing the importance of key projects like building a second bridge along their land border and boosting tourism.
“Our foreign ministers will lead determined efforts on our respective viewpoints on the Aegean and the Mediterranean,” Erdoğan informed. “It’s our genuine desire to settle our disputes with constructive dialogue.”
The Turkish leader further welcomed the closure of the notorious Lavrion camp near Athens earlier this summer, which was often described as a hotbed of terrorism by Türkiye.
“We have underscored Greece must be cautious in preventing the formation of similar shelters for terrorists,” he added.
Erdoğan also said he urged Mitsotakis to adhere to international law on the issue of improving conditions for the Muslim Turkish minority in Greece’s Western Thrace region. The Turkish minority’s rights have deteriorated under Mitsotakis’ rule as they faced restrictions on exercising their Turkish identity.
Markedly, at the end of the conference, Mitsotakis called out to his “Muslim citizens” and said, “Thrace means for us the desire of Muslims and Christians to live side by side in peace and the Greek government will continue working in line with postwar treaties that designate minorities’ status.”
The pair also analyzed events unfolding in the region and were of the opinion that “all extremist attitudes must be avoided, all humanitarian values must be respected and unarmed civilians must be protected,” Mitsotakis noted.
But Erdoğan reiterated Ankara’s disapproval of Israel’s consistent targeting of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, stressing, “The international community must not remain silent in the face of crimes committed against humanity.”
“Facilitating the unobstructed flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza must be a priority for us all,” Erdoğan said, adding the latest situation proves the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with 1976 borders was “now inevitable.”
For his part, the Greek leader pointed out the positive impetus since this spring and recalled that it was his third meeting with Erdoğan in the last six months.
He acknowledged that relations had been “dangerously threatened” in the past, with “ups and downs throughout history” but were now on a “calmer path.”
The historic rivals eased into a thaw in February when Greece sent rescuers and aid to Türkiye after a massive earthquake killed at least 50,000 people.
"I feel a historic debt to utilize the opportunity to bring the two nations side by side, as are our borders," Mitsotakis said. “We must live in peace, seek solutions to our differences.”
He praised cooperation between the two countries in dealing with irregular migration, which he said has helped lower illegal crossings in 2023.
He revealed he plans to visit Ankara in the spring of next year, which Erdoğan echoed.
“We will be ready to discuss the issues of continental shelf and delimitation of maritime zones,” Mitsotakis added. “Maritime law is vital for us all to settle these kinds of disagreements.”
Pointing to “certain factions” in both Türkiye and Greece “bothered by our rapprochement,” Mitsotakis said, “As captains of a ship sailing on calm waters, we must act together and forge a better future.”
Erdoğan, meanwhile, welcomed the closure of the notorious Lavrion camp near Athens earlier this summer, which was often described as a hotbed of terrorism by Türkiye.
“We have underscored Greece must be cautious in preventing the formation of similar shelters for terrorists,” he added.
Mitsotakis revealed Athens had agreed with the European Union to extend seven-day visas to Turkish citizens to visit some 10 Aegean islands.
Greece and Türkiye also signed a declaration of friendship and will work towards doubling their bilateral trade to $10 billion (TL 289.38 billion).
On the ethically divided island of Cyprus, the fair and sustainable resolution of the dispute will benefit everyone, Erdoğan further said.
Mitsotakis assured all Greek efforts are aimed at finding such a solution in line with U.N. resolutions.
Efforts to reunify Cyprus, which has been divided since 1974 following a Turkish military operation against a Greek annexation, have been at a standstill since the last round of U.N.-backed talks collapsed in 2017.
The division has been a source of tensions since then, including over who holds sway on the island’s offshore exclusive economic zone, over 40% of which was claimed by Türkiye following recent natural gas discoveries. Türkiye doesn’t recognize the Greek Cypriot administration as a state.
