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"We want to turn the Aegean into a sea of peace and cooperation"

Presidency Of The Republic Of Turkey

07.12.2023

Speaking at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Mitsotakis of Greece, President Erdoğan said: "We want to turn the Aegean into a sea of peace and cooperation. We aspire to set an example to the world with the joint steps we will take as Türkiye and Greece."

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of Greece held a joint press conference following their talks in Athens.

Noting that this was the first presidential visit from Türkiye to Greece after 65-year hiatus, President Erdoğan underlined that they want to enhance even further the positive momentum in the Turkish-Greek relations, and said: "

The fact that we are holding the 5th meeting of our High Level Cooperation Council today after seven years is an indication of this intention. I think we will not take such a long break for the next meeting, and that it will be beneficial for both our countries to hold this meeting at least once a year, as stated in the founding declaration."

"WE AGREED TO INCREASE OUR TRADE VOLUME TO $10 BILLION"

Stating that he had productive meetings with President Katerina Sakellaropoulou and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of Greece, President Erdoğan said: "During our bilateral meeting with Mr. Prime Minister, we discussed the steps that can be taken to improve our cooperation. We underlined the importance of keeping the channels of dialogue between us open at all levels within the framework of the continuation of high-level contacts. I underlined that the mechanism of the Türkiye-Greece High Level Cooperation Council, which was established during my term as prime minister, contributed to the advancement of our relations on the basis of a positive agenda. With the Athens Declaration on Friendly Relations and Good-Neighbourliness, we have confirmed at the highest level our will to enhance our relations. We are also pleased to see the concrete results of the work under the Joint Action Plan established in 2021. During our meeting with Mr. Prime Minister, we agreed to increase our trade volume, which is currently around $5 billion, to $10 billion. We pointed out the importance of transportation projects such as the construction of a second bridge at the Ipsala-Kipi Border Crossing."

Underscoring their wish to enhance relations both in tourism and culture, President Erdoğan said: "During our talks with Mr. Prime Minister, we exchanged views on our stances with regard to the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean, and asked our foreign ministers to resolutely address this issue. It is our sincere wish to resolve our current problems through constructive dialogue, good neighborliness and joint efforts within the framework of international law."

"A FAIR, LASTING AND SUSTAINABLE RESOLUTION OF THE CYPRUS ISSUE WILL BENEFIT THE ENTIRE REGION"

Stating that they also discussed with Prime Minister Mitsotakis how to improve cooperation in the fight against terrorism, President Erdoğan said: "In this regard, we once again expressed our expectations. We especially welcomed the closure of the Lavrion Camp. I underlined the need for caution to prevent the formation of similar camps, which provide shelter to terrorists, in Greece. The Turkish minority in Greece and the Greek minority in our country are the building blocks of our human and cultural richness. The increase in the peace and welfare of minorities will positively affect our relations. We expressed our expectations for improvements in the situation of the Turkish minority in Western Thrace as required by international law. A fair, lasting and sustainable resolution of the Cyprus issue on the basis of the realities on the island will benefit the entire region."

Noting that they exchanged views with Prime Minister Mitsotakis on bilateral relations as well as current regional and global developments, President Erdoğan said that they discussed the tragedy in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, especially in Gaza.

"THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY MUST NOT REMAIN SILENT IN THE FACE OF WAR CRIMES"

Recalling that Türkiye, from the very beginning, strongly disapproved of the targeting of civilians, President Erdoğan said: "It hurts the consciences that the incidents turned into the collective punishment of the people of Gaza and that 17,000 innocent Palestinian civilians, mostly women and children, have been massacred. The international community must not remain silent in the face of the ongoing crimes against humanity and war crimes. Establishing a permanent ceasefire as soon as possible and ensuring the unhindered flow of humanitarian aid should be the priority of us all. With the latest developments, we have once again seen that the establishment of an independent, sovereign and territorially integrated State of Palestine within the 1967 borders is inevitable. As Türkiye, we have declared our readiness to take responsibility as a guarantor for the implementation of a fair peace. In the context of the extreme need for humanitarian aid in Gaza, we have been rapidly continuing our assistance since day one. I believe that the international community will also show the necessary sensitivity in terms of the continuation of aid."

Pointing out that Türkiye and Greece are two neighboring countries sharing the same sea, the same geography, the same climate and even the same culture in many areas, President Erdoğan said: "While there may be disagreements even between two brothers, it is very natural for two neighbors to have differences of opinion. What matters is the will to resolve them. We want to turn the Aegean into a sea of peace and cooperation. We aspire to set an example to the whole world with the joint steps we will take as Türkiye and Greece. Let me be frank here; there is no problem that cannot be solved between us. As long as we act with goodwill, focus on the big picture, and do not stumble over molehills. I am also very pleased to see that dear Kyriakos shares the same view with us."

Thanking Prime Minister Mitsotakis for his kind hospitality, President Erdoğan said: "I wish that our meetings will be auspicious for our countries and peoples. I would also like to express that we will be very pleased to host him in Ankara for the next meeting."