Tainted by decades-old conflicts, Türkiye and Greece relations defied a new round of tensions early this year when two massive earthquakes that leveled southern Türkiye drew the neighbors closer.
As the dawn on Feb. 6 revealed the devastation wrought by the quakes across 11 provinces, Greece was among the first nations to extend its condolences to its neighbor. It was also swift in deploying search and rescue teams and following up with humanitarian assistance.
This strong show of solidarity by both government officials and the Greek people was met with gratitude from the Turkish side, leading to the restoration of dialogue between the two NATO allies.
Building on the positive atmosphere in bilateral relations, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis agreed to open the window of opportunity further when they met on July 12 on the sidelines of this year’s NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital city of Vilnius, their first face-to-face meeting after 16 months.
Affirming their common will for a fresh start in bilateral ties, they announced that the 5th Greek-Turkish High-Level Cooperation Council meeting would be held in fall 2023 in Greece after a seven-year hiatus.
Only 15 days after a meeting between Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his Greek counterpart George Gerapetritis in the Turkish capital city of Ankara, Erdoğan and Mitsotakis came together again, this time in New York, on Sept. 20.
Apart from the current state of bilateral relations and prospects, the leaders also discussed issues of mutual concern, including climate change, irregular migration, and regional and global issues.
The last meeting of the year between Erdoğan and Mitsotakis – the third in less than six months – took place in Athens. Underlining that no dispute between the two countries was beyond bridging, Erdoğan stressed in their joint statement that Türkiye aspires to turn Aegean into “a sea of peace and cooperation” through constructive dialogue and good neighborly relations with Greece, and within the framework of international law.
The Turkish leader also voiced agreement with earlier remarks by Mitsotakis and Foreign Minister Gerapetritis that improved Greece-Türkiye relations would contribute to the stability and prosperity of the wider region.
Mitsotakis, for his part, additionally underscored that the well-known disputes between the two countries should not automatically lead to heightened tensions and escalation, pointing to efforts for a resolution that could eventually build a peaceful future for subsequent generations.
During Erdoğan’s visit, the two nations also signed the Athens Declaration on Friendly Relations and Good-Neighbourliness, which emphasized the need to continue improving ties to benefit both societies in an atmosphere of friendship and mutual trust.
Against this backdrop, they agreed to continue constructive and meaningful consultations based on political dialogue, positive agenda and confidence-building measures, and refraining from acts and statements that might undermine the spirit of the declaration.
The sides also inked another agreement, seven memoranda of understanding, and seven joint declarations covering different fields.
An agreement between their education ministers covers the recognition of technical education diplomas, the exchange of knowledge and experience, the organization of joint educational activities for teachers and students, and student exchanges.
Meanwhile, a memorandum of understanding was signed in the fields of electricity transmission, small and medium-sized enterprises, export promotion and mutual investment, social security and sports.
Moreover, joint declarations on cooperation in tourism and science, customs and rural development, among other domains, were also signed, allowing Turkish citizens to obtain short-term visas to visit an array of Greek islands in the Aegean Sea.
As both Greece and Türkiye repeatedly stressed, numerous essential disputes between the two NATO allies remain. Yet, their willingness to expand their cooperation to new realms and deepen their bonds where they are already cooperating, along with potential mutual and regional benefits for advanced relations, stand as a reason to hope the rapprochement will stick and the sides will keep working on their issues in 2024, as well.
