Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is set to visit Ankara, Turkey in an effort to test a five-month-old friendship initiative between the two countries. Despite decades of mutual animosity, a tense border, and disputed waters, Greece and Turkey agreed to set aside their disputes last December. They are now focusing on trade, energy, repairing cultural ties, and a list of other items on the positive agenda. The leaders of the two nations hope to expand this positive agenda and seek win-win solutions in various areas such as trade, tourism, and migration.
Both Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are keen on preventing further instability in the eastern Mediterranean, even amidst sharp differences over the Israeli-Hamas war. They aim to hold discussions with confidence and keep the channels of communication open, even when disagreements arise. Efforts are being made to bring the two countries closer through educational exchanges, tourism initiatives, and the issuance of easy visas for Turkish tourists visiting Greek islands. These initiatives are aimed at improving economic relations and fostering understanding between the two societies.
Greece and Turkey have a long history of disputes, particularly over maritime borders, exploration rights in the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean seas, and the divided island of Cyprus. The two countries have come close to war on numerous occasions in the past five decades due to these disagreements. However, a naval standoff in 2020 and a vow by Erdogan to halt talks with Mitsotakis’ government marked a turning point in relations. The recent thaw in relations has led to increased diplomatic engagement and efforts to resolve longstanding disputes.
In the lead-up to Mitsotakis’ visit, Erdogan announced the conversion of a former Byzantine-era church in Istanbul into a mosque, drawing criticism from Greece and the Greek Orthodox church. There have also been disagreements over Greece’s plans to declare areas in the Ionian and Aegean seas as marine parks, which Turkey views as a step that sabotages the normalization process. Despite these recent disagreements, there are opportunities for Turkey and Greece to focus on restoring derelict Ottoman monuments in Greece and Greek Orthodox monuments in Turkey, which could potentially improve ties between the two countries.
The upcoming meeting between the Greek Prime Minister and Turkish President will focus on expanding the positive agenda and seeking mutually beneficial solutions. High-level contacts have been maintained between the two countries to promote fence-mending initiatives, with Turkish citizens now able to visit Greek islands with on-the-spot visas. The leaders will seek to avoid tensions and escalations during discussions, with an emphasis on keeping communication channels open even when disagreements arise. Efforts are being made to emphasize shared interests and foster economic and cultural ties between Greece and Turkey.
