Turkiye and Greece leaders meet in Athens

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L), and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (R) shake hands as they hold a joint press conference after their meeting as part of the 5th meeting of Turkiye-Greece High Level Cooperation Council in Athens, Greece on December 07, 2023. [Mustafa Kamacı – Anadolu Agency]

After years of strained relations that raised tensions to alarming levels, long time regional rivals, Greece and Turkiye, made a significant step Thursday in mending ties during a visit to Athens by Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, AP reports.

According to the report, during a day of intense diplomacy, the two countries signed more than a dozen cooperation deals on trade, energy and education and announced a roadmap for future high-level consultations aimed at avoiding crises.

“It is natural for there to be problems between two neighbours when there can be misunderstandings even among brothers,” Erdogan said during statements to the press after meeting with Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

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