'Window of opportunity': Athens, Ankara look to rise above differences to strengthen ties, says Greek foreign minister

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) — Long seen as regional rivals, neighbors Greece and Türkiye stand at a "window of opportunity" to strengthen relations, with the willingness of both nations' leaders proving pivotal in progress on this front, according to Athens' foreign minister.

During his talk at the London School of Economics, George Gerapetritis on Tuesday answered Anadolu's questions on two-way relations, emphasizing the importance of a "deliberative approach" in foreign policy.

"I am very fond of the basic idea of deliberative processes not only in foreign policy but in everything aspect of life. I just aspire that anytime we have a dispute, it doesn't eventually conclude in crisis," he said.

Recognizing the fundamental differences between the two countries, he stressed the need for open discussions and resolution, underlining the significance of diplomacy in navigating disputes.

"We have jointly decided to leave aside our disputes," Gerapetritis said, underscoring the belief that these differences should not hinder diplomatic dialogue.

- Aegean calm must be maintained

According to Gerapetritis, confidence-building measures in defense and military will be vital in improving relations.

On possible steps being pursued, he said the Greek government has appointed a diplomat to lead the confidence building discussions between the two.

Pointing out the current calm in the Aegean Sea, he said it was "very important" to maintain this.

"What I keep on saying is that, irrespective of whether we resolve our basic issues concerning delegation of military zones, it is by itself important to extend the period of calmness over the Aegean for as long as we can," said Gerapetritis.

The Aegean dispute encompasses a series of interconnected controversies between Greece and Türkiye concerning sovereignty and associated rights in the region of the body of water between the two countries.

These conflicts have significantly strained Greek-Turkish relations since the 1970s and sometimes brought the two nations to the brink of military hostilities.

Despite opposition from some groups in both Greece and Türkiye, Gerapetritis stressed the imperative of working towards reconciliation and peaceful coexistence.

"This is definitely an asset for our discussion, and I can see that there are some people and groups in Greece and in Türkiye, as well, who are opposing the idea of rapprochement of two countries.

"I expected this but respectfully disagree with it. We have to live together. We have to work hard in order to live in peace," he said.

- Mindset change

The Greek foreign minister also argued that fostering good neighborly relations and mitigating the risk of tension or conflict should be prioritized over accelerating processes that may be divisive between Athens and Ankara.

"And I think it's much better to be able to mitigate the risks of tension or war, instead of trying to accelerate that process. And I think this is my responsibility towards the Greek citizens and especially with future generations," he underlined.

Addressing the potential for increased collaboration, Gerapetritis revealed that the two nations were set to sign agreements in crucial areas.

"We have decided to focus not on things to actually separate us, but the things that actually unite us, for example, we do have an ambitious political agenda that have agreements that will be signed in the near future concerning economy, tourism, education, culture.

"I think there is a different mindset in Türkiye-Greek relations. And, I think we should focus on win-win solutions to our issues and that's why I'm working very hard with my colleagues."

"I strongly believe in people-to-people diplomacy. We have to raise awareness among people concerning good neighborly relations," Gerapetritis asserted.