Turkey and Greece, long-time rivals in the Mediterranean region, have officially declared their intention to improve relations, local media reported on the 6th (local time).
According to Turkey's public broadcaster TRT World, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an stated in an interview with the Greek daily Kathimerini, published a day before his visit to Greece, that "a joint declaration of friendship and good neighborliness will be announced together with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens."
The two leaders are expected to officially announce the declaration after their summit on the 7th. President Erdo?an said, "The two countries share land and sea, breathe the same air, and are historically intertwined. We need to open a new chapter in bilateral relations and coexist. Issues such as the Aegean Sea, illegal migration, and the Turkish minority in Greece can be resolved through dialogue based on goodwill."
He also stated, "Greece is not an enemy of Turkey but a valuable member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and mutual respect for each other's rights and interests is necessary," adding that there is potential for cooperation in the energy sector in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean regions.
Although both Turkey and Greece are NATO members, they have been known as "eternal rivals of the Aegean Sea." Greece was under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, the predecessor of Turkey, for nearly 400 years, and the two countries have clashed over issues such as sovereignty of Aegean islands, airspace violations, Mediterranean resource exploration, and the Cyprus issue over the past several decades.
In particular, President Erdo?an halted talks between the two countries last year, accusing Greece of obstructing the purchase of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets. However, a thaw in relations began when Greece was the first to extend support to Turkey after the devastating earthquake struck in February this year.
Meanwhile, on his way back from attending the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit held in Qatar the day before, President Erdo?an told reporters regarding the F-16 purchase, "The U.S. must pass this measure (fighter jet sale) through Congress for us to take simultaneous action." This is interpreted as linking the ratification of Sweden's NATO membership, currently pending in the Turkish parliament, to the F-16 deal. Sweden applied for NATO membership along with Finland in May last year, about three months after the outbreak of the Ukraine war, but has yet to join as existing members Turkey and Hungary have delayed the final procedures.
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