Turkey and Greece maintain post-disaster diplomacy after train crash
As Ankara condoles Athens over the fatal train crash, Turks praise the Greek transport minister's resignation and lament at Turkish government officials for not taking responsibility over quake failures.
ANKARA — Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered condolences to his Greek counterpart, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday after the deadly train crash in Greece.
According to the Turkish Presidency, Erdogan — in his message to Sakellaropoulou and Mitsotakis — said he was "deeply saddened" by the loss of lives and wished a speedy recovery to those injured in the collision.
At least 36 people died in the collision of a freight train and a passenger train carrying hundreds of people and in the ensuing fire near the Greek city of Larissa late Tuesday. More than 80 people were injured, according to Greek authorities. The accident prompted the resignation of Greece's transport minister.
Tensions between the two NATO allies were running high until recently over conflicting territorial claims in the eastern Mediterranean. Slamming the Greek premier’s lobby activities against military sales to Turkey during his Washington visit, Erdogan declared last year that “Mitsotakis no longer exists” for him.
