Athens, NOV 8: /DNA/ – Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s visit to Athens marks a significant step in a diplomatic push to improve relations between Greece and Turkiye, two countries that, despite being NATO allies, have often found themselves at odds over various issues. These tensions include disputes over maritime boundaries, airspace, energy exploration rights, and the status of certain Aegean islands. Their conflicting claims in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean seas have brought them to the brink of war twice in recent decades.
However, both countries have recently shown a commitment to mending ties, a process accelerated in 2023 with high-profile meetings between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. These discussions have aimed to build mutual trust and to establish a foundation for more open and crisis-preventive dialogue. Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis emphasized this sentiment, noting a “step-by-step” progression toward trust, allowing both sides to address difficult issues openly.
In this latest round of talks, officials are expected to address not only longstanding territorial disputes but also pressing contemporary challenges. One of these is the rise in illegal migration to Greece, which Athens attributes, in part, to Turkiye’s lax border controls. Despite divergent views on issues like the conflict in the Middle East—where Greece and Turkiye have supported different sides in regional crises—the foreign ministers will likely seek common ground on promoting stability in the region.
These discussions are paving the way for a significant bilateral meeting: the Greece-Turkiye High-Level Cooperation Council, scheduled for early 2025 in Ankara. This council could mark a milestone in a historically fraught relationship, potentially laying the groundwork for sustained cooperation and peace between the two neighbors.
