The Turkish president arrived in Greece to mend strained relations

Despite deep-rooted disagreements between neighboring NATO members, RT Erdogan promised to follow what would be beneficial to both countries and could create conditions for wider cooperation.

RT Erdogan, who arrived in Athens on Thursday morning, meets with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and President Katerina Sakellaropoulou.

RT Erdogan vowed to usher in a “new era” in relations with Greece as he began his first official visit to Athens since 2017.

“I believe that the Turkey-Greece strategic cooperation meeting will start a new era of relations,” RT Erdogan told the Greek president, adding that “we must be optimistic, and this optimism will be fruitful in the future.”

The improvement of relations between Turkey and Greece is significant not only in the field of bilateral relations and could help Turkey repair its damaged relations with the European Union and other allies in the West.

Both countries must sign cooperation agreements. One important agreement being reached is related to migration, opening channels of communication between the coast guards of both countries.

Greece is also to offer holiday visas to Turks who want to visit the Greek islands and is backing Ankara’s request to ease travel restrictions for Turkish citizens in the European Union.

Ancient disputes between Greece and Turkey have brought the neighbors to the brink of war three times in the past five decades. The last time this happened was in the 2020s, over a maritime border and rights to explore for resources in the Aegean Sea and the eastern Mediterranean. The warships of both countries then followed each other in the eastern Mediterranean.

But bilateral relations have improved since February, when Greece sent rescuers and aid to Turkey after a powerful earthquake that killed at least 50,000 people. people.