Turkish, Greek FMs show willingness to improve ties

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (R) shakes hands with Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis during a joint news conference in Ankara, Türkiye, on Sept. 5, 2023. Fidan and Gerapetritis on Tuesday expressed their willingness to improve bilateral ties following years of tensions. (Photo by Mustafa Kaya/Xinhua)

ANKARA, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his Greek counterpart Giorgos Gerapetritis on Tuesday expressed their willingness to improve bilateral ties following years of tensions.

Türkiye enters a "new and positive" era in its relations with Greece, the Turkish foreign minister said at a joint news conference with his Greek counterpart in the capital Ankara.

"We are ready to continue the dialogue without preconditions and to develop our relations based on common interests in all fields," Fidan said.

Ankara and Athens agreed to move on to a "positive agenda" for the bilateral relations, Gerapetritis said on his part.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will hold a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly this month, and the two countries are expected to hold a high-level cooperation council meeting this year, the first such meeting in seven years, Gerapetritis said.

The visit of the Greek minister to Ankara came amid years of tensions between the two countries over their overlapping claims of airspace and territorial waters in the Aegean and Mediterranean, as well as other issues concerning minorities and illegal immigration.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (R) and Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis attend a joint news conference in Ankara, Türkiye, on Sept. 5, 2023. Fidan and Gerapetritis on Tuesday expressed their willingness to improve bilateral ties following years of tensions. (Photo by Mustafa Kaya/Xinhua)