March 13 () –
The Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, stated on Monday that tensions with Ankara have been reduced driven by mutual solidarity after the earthquakes that struck southern Turkey and northwestern Syria more than a month ago.
“After a long period of unacceptable provocations and aggressive behavior, today we are experiencing a reduction in tension and more positive behavior,” he said at a press conference with the President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulidi.
In this sense, he has affirmed that Athens will respond “always to everything that points to the reduction of tension” and towards the construction of a dialogue process. “I want to think that such an improvement can also have a positive impact on the Cyprus problem,” she added.
Mitsotakis has pointed out that the aftermath of the earthquakes, which have resulted in more than 47,900 deaths, have “brought the two peoples closer” for what is perceived “a more positive attitude” and a “de-escalation” of tensions.
Thus, he reiterated that Greece is “firmly in favor of dialogue with Turkey on the basis of International Law and good-neighborly relations”, a value that the Turkish Defense Minister, Hulusi Akar, also highlighted over the weekend.
Turkey and Greece, two NATO member countries, are trying to improve their complicated relations after in 2020 they were on the brink of an armed conflict after Turkey carried out prospecting in areas of the eastern Mediterranean, which Greece considers part of its exclusive economic zone.
