Türkiye sends condolences after deadly Greece train accident
Rescue crews operate at the site of a crash, where two trains collided, near the city of Larissa, Greece, March 1, 2023. (Reuters Photo)


Türkiye sent Wednesday messages of condolences to neighboring Greece after a deadly train crash near the city of Larissa killed at least 32 people and injured 85.

"We have learned with sorrow that many people lost their lives and were injured last night as a result of a train crash in our neighbor Greece," Türkiye's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"We extend our condolences to the relatives of those who lost their lives in this tragic accident as well as to the people and Government of Greece and wish a speedy recovery to the injured," the statement added.

Türkiye's Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu also extended his condolences in a phone call with his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias on Wednesday morning.

On a related note, Greece was one of the first countries to come to Türkiye's aid following the Feb. 6 twin earthquake that killed nearly 45,000 people.

Despite a history of rivalry that goes back centuries, Greece sent rescuers and humanitarian aid within hours of the disaster.

The earthquakes also prompted the first contact in months between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

A week into the aftermath, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias too made the first visit by a European minister to Türkiye following the earthquakes.