Yesterday, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis travelled to Ankara to meet with Turkey’s President in his first visit to Turkey since 2024 for the 6th Greece–Türkiye High-Level Cooperation Council. The sea-faring nations are locked in territorial and maritime disputes against each other but but trade and a working relationships between the two nations still exist. Bilateral trade between Greece and Turkey is estimated it will reach up to €10 billion.
Turkey and Greece signed six agreements during this visit including a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation Between the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye Investment Office and the Greece Investment and Foreign Trade Agency, a Memorandum on Encouraging the Initiation of Ro-Ro Services Between İzmir Port and Thessaloniki Port, a Memorandum on Strengthening Cooperation Within the Framework of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization, a Memorandum on Strengthening Bilateral Cooperation on Earthquake Preparedness, and a Memorandum of on Cooperation in the Field of Culture.
Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis did not hold back from airing his grievances during the press conference. Prime Minister Mitsotakis reiterated Greece’s position on minorities, asserting that the Treaty of Lausanne defines the group in Thrace as a religious Muslim minority rather than an ethnic Turkish group. He emphasized on the harmonious integration of Greek Muslims with their Christian compatriots and lamented the decline of the Greek minority in Istanbul, while calling for these communities to foster stronger bilateral ties and mutual understanding.
On Cyprus, the Greek Prime Minister said that there is a “window of opportunity” as talks are ongoing. On the maritime disputes, President Erdogan said that their differences were discussed openly and honestly and a solution should be found via international law. President Erdogan reitereted that as NATO allies Greece and Turkey should communicate their issues and engage in dialogue.
Greece and Cyprus are currently forming a military and security partnership with Israel.
You can watch the full press conference here.
Newsroom
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