Ankara, 15 May 2024 (TDI): President Tayyip Erdogan met the Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitotakis on 13 May. The Greek prime minister visited Ankara and was hosted by the President of Turkiye.
During the meeting in Ankara, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan assured Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis that their nations face “no unsolvable problems.”
Turkey and Greece have historically disagreed on various issues, such as maritime boundaries, energy resources in the Eastern Mediterranean, flights over the Aegean Sea, and the Cyprus division.
Both countries, even being NATO allies, are historic rivals having a long list of disputes. “Despite disagreements, we focus on a positive agenda by keeping our dialogue channels open,” President Erdogan told a joint news conference on Monday.
“We showed today that alongside our proven disagreements, we can chart a parallel page of agreements. Looking towards the many things that unite us, we wish to intensify our bilateral contacts in the coming period,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitotakis.
President Tayyip Erdogan met the Greek Prime Minister, the two leaders expressed differing opinions on how to classify the Palestinian militant group Hamas. President Erdogan maintained that Hamas is a “resistance movement” and expressed regret that Greece, along with many other Western nations, considers it a terrorist organization.
At the joint news conference, the Turkish president mentioned that over 1,000 members of the Palestinian group are receiving medical treatment in hospitals across Turkey. President Erdogan has consistently emphasized that he views Hamas as a “resistance movement.”
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Relations between Ankara and Athens have historically been tense, with the two nations nearing the brink of conflict five times over the past fifty years. A cordial meeting occurred last year when President Erdogan visited Greece, aiming to improve the relationship through positive agreements.
However, President Erdogan’s earlier visit to Athens in 2017 was problematic. He and the then-Greek counterpart, President Prokopis Pavlopoulos had a contentious discussion regarding the 1923 Lausanne Treaty, which established the borders between Turkey and Greece.
