Türkiye, Greece should seize 'historic opportunity' before them: Foreign minister

By Esra Tekin and Ahmet Gencturk

ISTANBUL/ATHENS (AA) – Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Friday urged Greece and Türkiye to seize a “historic opportunity” before the two nations and make the “positive climate” between the countries of recent years a lasting one.

“We must seize the historic opportunity ahead of us and make the positive climate between our countries permanent. We should transform our eternal neighbor into an eternal friend,” Fidan told a joint press conference in Athens with his Greek counterpart Giorgos Gerapetritis.

“I have no doubt that we can achieve this goal with a sincere and constructive approach,” he added.

Stating that relations between Ankara and Athens are progressing, Fidan said that the multidimensional cooperation of the two countries is strengthening.

He added that they are taking important steps together in fields such as trade, the economy, transportation, tourism, and culture.

The possibility of further cooperation in new areas was discussed during their meeting in Athens, Fidan said, adding: “We are striving to better understand each other on critical issues. The region we are in contains many challenges. In this difficult geography, Türkiye and Greece need to be able to act with mutual trust.”

Underlining that a "win-win" approach can contribute to the public peace and welfare on both sides, Fidan said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis have clearly demonstrated their political will in this direction.

Looking ahead, Fidan said the roadmap for cooperation was being reviewed, and preparations for the 6th High-Level Cooperation Council meeting, set to be held in the Turkish capital Ankara in early 2025 with the leaders’ participation, were also addressed.

Fidan also mentioned that, as part of transportation cooperation, preparations are ongoing for the construction of a second bridge at the Ipsala-Kipi Border Gate, and construction is set to start soon.

The trade volume target between the two countries is set at $10 billion, Fidan said, adding that joint efforts are ongoing to reach this goal.

"We expect our trade volume, which in 2023 reached $5.8 billion, to exceed $6 billion by the end of this year,” he added.

-Aegean, Mediterranean, confidence-building measures

Issues related to the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean were addressed based on international law and the principles of good neighborliness, he said.

"As you know, it is a fact that we have differences of opinion on the Aegean. These issues were also addressed in past consultative talks. We need to be realistic and make accurate diagnoses of our problems. There are many interrelated issues in the Aegean that we need to work on and find solutions to,” Fidan explained.

He urged that all problems that have the potential to create tension be addressed based on “on mutual respect and cooperation.”

Fidan also voiced satisfaction with a round of confidence-building measures meetings held earlier this week in Istanbul.

The Cyprus issue was also addressed during the meeting, stated Fidan, adding that Ankara’s stance on this issue is clear, stressing that the issue will continue to be addressed based on the realities on the island, where there are two countries.

Stating that the federation model is no longer viable for Cyprus, Fidan added: “What is needed on the island now is a new spirit that will ensure the security, freedom, and prosperity of both Turks and Greeks."

He also highlighted the historical ties between Türkiye and Greece, noting that this shared history, along with the minorities that are part of it, is a source of wealth and diversity for both countries.

Fidan underlined the importance of preserving the Turkish cultural heritage in Greece, expressing Türkiye’s readiness to offer all kinds of support for the restoration of Ottoman monuments.

During their meeting, Fidan also expressed Türkiye’s expectation for more effective cooperation with neighboring Greece in the fight against terrorist groups, especially FETO – the group responsible for a 2016 defeated coup in Türkiye that killed over 250 people – and the PKK – a group whose decades-long terror campaign against Türkiye has killed some 40,000 people.

He also underlined the importance of working together in the fight against irregular migration.

-Pressure on Israel

Stating that they also discussed regional and global issues, Fidan stressed Türkiye’s unwillingness to be a bystander in the face of “war, suffering or tragedy” in the region.

He reiterated Ankara’s stance on the Palestinian issue, which seeks a resolution based on a two-state solution, urging the global community to put serious pressure on Israel.

“Otherwise, (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu's fanaticism will unfortunately continue to spill blood in the region,” he added.

Fidan also emphasized that Türkiye advocates a fair solution in Ukraine within the framework of the country's territorial integrity, adding that they share Greece’s view that peace and stability in the Balkans are crucial for the broader region.

Gerapetritis, for his part, praised the tangible results produced by the ongoing rapprochement between the two NATO ally neighbors.

"Last year when I visited Ankara, I underlined our three main goals: To resolve major disputes, decompress tensions, and prevent dangerous crises. Hence, we held negotiations based on three pillars, which are political dialogue, positive agenda and confidence-building measures. Since then, in the last 16 months, tangible results have been produced.”

Dialogue did not and will not bring magical solutions to deep, long-lasting disputes between the two countries but did prevent many tensions from escalating into crises, he added.

Gerapetritis also mentioned tourism, commerce, and combating irregular migration as issues which have seen progress, adding that they want to further boost cooperation in these areas.

Saying that the next round of the Türkiye-Greece Positive Agenda meetings will take place in Athens on Dec. 2-3 in Athens, he added: “Our purpose is to bring the two peoples together. In this context, today we had the opportunity to discuss issues related to our bilateral relations.”

Also stressing that issue of delimitation of the maritime borders was among the topics discussed with Fidan, Gerapetritis called it a “critical yet though issue” between the two countries.

“In any case, we reaffirmed our will to maintain the climate we have managed to build with mutual respect based on the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations,” he said.