Greece-Turkey ties on upswing as FM set to visit, Cyprus tensions subside
Turkey tries to dial down confrontations in the eastern Mediterranean before the Greek minister's visit as part of its push to improve relations with the West.
ANKARA — Greek Foreign Minister Yorgo Gerapetritis will travel to Turkey on Tuesday as the historic rivals continue efforts to reset their decadeslong dispute over territorial rights in the Aegean and Mediterranean seas and the divided island of Cyprus.
Gerapetritis will meet with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, according to simultaneous statements by the Turkish and Greek Foreign Ministries last week.
The bilateral meeting will mark the first between the new Greek and Turkish chief diplomats since the general elections in both countries. Ankara has been seeking better ties with the West following Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s reelection in May. Greece’s swift response to the massive earthquakes that shook Turkey in February created a positive atmosphere that both countries have since sought to build on.
The thaw was in evidence as Erdogan met with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on the sidelines of NATO’s June summit in Vilnius.
