News about Turkiye

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Turkey’s Erdogan meets Greek PM, sees ‘no unsolvable problems’ in ties

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitotakis that there were “no unsolvable problems” between their countries as the leaders met in Ankara.

Turkey and Greece have long been at odds over issues including maritime boundaries, energy resources in the eastern Mediterranean, flights over the Aegean Sea, and the division of Cyprus.

Since both leaders were re-elected last year, they have started taking high-profile steps to improve ties.

“Despite disagreements, we focus on a positive agenda by keeping our dialogue channels open,” Erdogan told a joint news conference with Mitsotakis on Monday.

“We showed today that alongside our proven disagreements, we can chart a parallel page of agreements,” Mitsotakis said.

“Looking towards the many things that unite us, we wish to intensify our bilateral contacts in the coming period.”

Mitsotakis reiterated Greece’s support for Turkey’s EU accession “despite great difficulties … on the condition it integrates to the European acquis.”

Hamas disagreement
The two leaders also discussed Israel’s war on Gaza. While they agreed that a long-term ceasefire is needed, they appeared to be deeply divided over the status of the Palestinian group Hamas, which governs Gaza.

Erdogan said that he was saddened by the Greek position that deems Hamas a “terrorist” organisation.

The Turkish president said at the joint news conference that more than 1,000 members of the Palestinian group were being treated in hospitals across Turkey. Erdogan has repeatedly reiterated that Hamas is a “resistance movement”.

“Let’s agree to disagree,” Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in response.

The group as a whole or in some instances its military wing, the Qassam Brigades, is designated as a “terrorist” organisation by Israel, the United States, the European Union, Canada, Egypt and Japan.

On October 7, Hamas fighters led an unprecedented attack on Israel killing at least 1,139 people, mostly civilians, according to an Al Jazeera tally based on Israeli statistics, and seizing about 250 others as captives.

Dozens of captives were released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails during a week-long truce between Israel and Hamas in November, but Israel says dozens of others are still being held in Gaza.

Israel responded to the Hamas-led attack by launching a devastating war on Gaza that has levelled much of the territory, displaced more than 80 percent of the population and killed more than 35,000 people, mostly women and children, according to Palestinian authorities.

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