After several years of political ice age between NATO members Greece and Turkey, there are further signals of relaxation from the two heads of state and government.
According to information from Athens, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to further relax relations between the quarreling neighboring states.
As Mitsotakis’ office in Athens announced on Wednesday following the meeting in New York, the two want to exchange ideas on December 7th as part of the Greek-Turkish Cooperation Council in Thessaloniki.
The meeting in New York was very constructive, Mitsotakis later told broadcaster ERT. In addition to political issues and the roadmap for further rapprochement, the climate crisis and its effects on the Mediterranean were also discussed, as both countries were recently affected by natural disasters. It was also agreed to address the migration issue together. Cooperation with Turkey is essential to reduce migration flows to a minimum, said Mitsotakis.
The signals of détente from the two heads of state and government follow several years of political ice age between the NATO members. The background is, among other things, disputes over sovereign rights in the Aegean and the exploitation of raw materials such as natural gas under the seabed. In addition, Ankara has repeatedly questioned Greece’s sovereignty over islands such as Chios, Lesbos and Rhodes because Athens has militarized them contrary to international treaties.
Source: Stern
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