Greece hails ‘positive turn’ in ties with Türkiye
Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias on Saturday highlighted the recent positive developments in his country’s relations with Türkiye following the Feb. 6 earthquakes and the train disaster.
Dendias said that this new reality is reflected in the countries’ joint statement following the fourth Meeting of the Positive Agenda in the Turkish capital Ankara on March 22 and his recent meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu in Brussels.
Speaking to the Greek daily Proto Tema, Dendias said Ankara’s new attitude toward Athens caused the rapprochement in bilateral ties. Though the Greek government is fully aware of the difficulties in relations, he said: “We must respond to such Turkish behavior accordingly.”“It would be unforgivable on the Greek side not to attempt to utilize this change,” Dendias said, adding: “Greece has an absolute duty to step through the door Türkiye has opened.” Dendias was one of the first foreign ministers to visit Türkiye after the disaster and received a warm welcome when he met Çavuşoğlu, reiterating his country’s support for the earthquake relief.
Despite a history of rivalry with Türkiye that goes back centuries, Greece was among the first European countries to send rescue workers and humanitarian aid on Feb. 6, a few hours after the disaster.
Territorial and energy disputes have exacerbated regional tension. Still, the two neighbors, situated on seismic fault lines, also have a tradition of helping each other in natural disasters.
The Greek government has sent 80 tons of medical and first aid equipment. Thousands of Greeks had responded to calls for aid to quakehit Türkiye, reviving memories of how a spontaneous outpouring of help after a similar disaster in 1999 brought the neighbors together when they seemed to be on the brink of war.
The earthquakes also have prompted the first contact between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in months.
Likewise, Türkiye was the first country to offer condolences and aid following a Feb. 28 train accident in northern Greece that left at least 57 people dead.
After the accident, Türkiye allowed the transfer of a Greek prisoner to Greece to attend his son’s funeral.
On March 20, Çavuşoğlu and Dendias met in Brussels and pledged mutual support. They agreed that Türkiye would support Greece’s campaign for a non-permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council in 2025-2026. Likewise, Athens will support Ankara’s candidacy for secretary general of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
Officials on both sides have been hailing “a positive atmosphere” taking over bilateral relations since the tragedy struck. While it’s unclear whether the breaking of ice could reach political levels, officials express it “should be considered for the normalization of ties.”