Greek PM to visit Turkiye in quest for better relations

ISTANBUL: Greece´s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will be received on Monday in Ankara by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in the latest sign of warming relations between the Nato neighbours.

After decades of tensions, occasionally broken by brief periods of reconciliation, the day-long visit follows a trip by Erdogan to Greece in December and marks a new phase in their relations, diplomats said.

In an interview published on Sunday in Greek newspaper Kathimerini, Erdogan said talks would focus on “resolving problems” between the neighbours.

“It falls to us to calm relations between the two countries... to ensure that peace and tranquillity reign forever on both sides of the Aegean Sea,” the Turkish leader said.

He added he wished to “raise the level of bilateral relations to a new level”.

Mitsotakis echoed Erdogan´s sentiment in an interview with Turkish newspaper Milliyet published on Sunday, saying he wanted to “move forward on a constructive path”.

“We are not enemies, we are neighbours,” he said, listing “shared challenges” including migrant flows in the Aegean.