Thaw with Türkiye continues, no crisis in bilateral ties, says Greek foreign minister

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) - A thaw between Greece and Türkiye is ongoing and, contrary to some arguments, no crisis is being experienced in bilateral relations, the Greek foreign minister has said.

In an interview with private broadcaster SKAI TV on Friday, George Gerapetritis revealed that a recent meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Brussels, on the sidelines of the EU foreign ministers' informal meeting, took place in a sincere and fruitful atmosphere.

All issues concerning bilateral relations, as well as the Cyprus issue, were discussed during the meeting, he said.

Gerapetritis also disclosed that preparations for an expected meeting between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in New York in late September were also discussed.

Asked about reports in Greek media that Athens had made certain concessions to Ankara to maintain the thaw, he said, "There is a faction in the press that believes we should constantly be in a state of heightened tension with Türkiye.

"I understand that, but the mandate we have been given is to ensure peace and prosperity for our homeland for present and future generations."

Emphasizing that better mutual relations are already yielding positive results, as is the case in managing irregular migration and preventing possible escalations thanks to open communication between the two sides, Gerapetritis added:

"We build step by step. We make sure that the first step is to ensure calm. If the conditions are ripe, we move on to the more complex issues, which will ensure long-lasting peace."

He emphasized that Greece and Türkiye remain committed to their positions on major disputes, including the demarcation of maritime borders.

Issues concerning Athens' sovereignty rights are not up for discussion, Gerapetritis said.