15 different agreements were signed between Greece and Türkiye

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited Athens, the capital of Greece, for the first time after 6 years. Meeting with Katerina Sakelaropoulu, President of Greece and Kiryakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of Greece Erdogan chaired the 5th Meeting of the High Level Cooperation Council between Türkiye and Greece.

Following the meetings, which received wide spread media attention in the international press, 15 different agreements were signed between Greece and Türkiye.

President Erdoğan and Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis also signed the “Athens Declaration on Friendly Relations and Good Neighborhood”.

In the declaration, it was stated that the importance of “especially emphasizing the avoidance of conflictual situations and possible escalation” was underlined, and it was decided to develop political dialogue and take confidence-building measures.

Both countries also agreed to “refrain from any statement, initiative or action that would weaken or discredit the spirit of the declaration or endanger the maintenance of peace and stability in their regions,” and “to strive to resolve any disputes that may arise through consultation.”

15 AGREEMENTS SIGNED

At the joint press conference held after the agreements, Erdoğan said, “I’m telling you frankly, there is no problem between us that cannot be solved. “As long as we act with good will, focus on the big picture, and not be among those who do not stumble over the mountains but over molehills”

Stating that in their meetings with Mitsotakis, they have agreed to increase the trade volume between Türkiye and Greece, which is currently around five billion dollars, to 10 billion dollars, Erdoğan said, “We pointed out the importance of transportation projects such as the construction of the second bridge at the İpsala Kirpi Border Gate.”

Erdoğan said, “We exchanged views about our attitudes in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean and asked our foreign ministers to handle the work on this issue decisively. “It is our sincere wish to resolve our current problems through constructive dialogue, good neighborliness and joint efforts within the framework of international law,”

MITSOTAKIS: “TO BE ABLE TO CREATE SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS”

Speaking after Erdoğan, the Greek Prime Minister said, “It is very important to create solutions to the problems experienced by each side.”

Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis emphasized that there are many groups in both Greece and Türkiye that do not agree with this common approach and said, “However, two bordering countries have to act side by side and together. “We both have to create a beautiful future as the captain of the ship that moves in calmer waters with a nice breeze,” Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis said, “Greece and Türkiye are obliged to live in peace. They will discuss their disagreements sincerely and constantly seek solutions. “Even if there is no rapprochement in these differences of opinion, there should not be tension either,”

Pointing out that they met with President Erdoğan for the third time in the last six months, Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis said that today’s Türkiye-Greece High Level Cooperation Council (YDIK) meeting is a continuation of these joint efforts.

Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis pointed out that there was a difference of opinion between the two countries on the Cyprus issue and stated that there was no solution for Greece other than the United Nations Security Council resolutions and that the dialogue between the parties should be restarted.

VISA TO GREEK ISLANDS

In his speech, Mitsotakis also announced that the agreements made between the two countries include a visa program that will enable Turkish citizens to visit ten Greek islands throughout the year.

“We discussed the flexibility of Turkish citizens to visit the Eastern Aegean islands by exempting them from visa for 7 days in the Eastern Aegean for a year,” Mitsotakis said.

“This is a step that will bring the peoples closer,” said Dimitris Kairidis, Minister of Migration of Greece

Stating that the agreement was decided together with the European Commission, Kairidis said, “It was something that Türkiye, which has encountered such a burden regarding migration, needed greatly.”

Making a statement on December 6, Kairidis said that “the number of immigrants arriving illegally on the Greek islands has decreased by approximately 60 percent in the last two months, largely thanks to better coordination with

Türkiye’s coast guard.”

Speaking to state television, the

Minister said, “Once upon a time, Turkish authorities has not reacted and allowed boats to pass. Now cooperation is much better,”

The issue remains a political priority in Europe, which is heading towards EUwide elections in June before major asylum reforms are completed.