Athens and Ankara agree to work together on migration

Greece and Turkey said on Monday they had agreed to cooperate in the management of migration.

Greek Migration Minister Dimitris Kairidis and Turkey’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya issued a joint communique in Ankara on Monday in which the two countries agreed to work together in the fight against migrant trafficking, and that the two sides “agreed to strengthen their overall cooperation.”

The Greek ministry said in a statement that the talks were held in a positive atmosphere.

Yerlikaya expressed his government’s determination to tackle irregular migration and highlighted the progress Turkey has made in combating illegal trafficking.

For his part, Kairidis welcomed the progress made in Evros, but drew attention to the number of illegal departures from the Turkish coast to the Greek islands of the eastern Aegean.

Both agreed that they remain fully committed to addressing the problem of illegal trafficking and decided to explore new ways to work together ahead of the High-Level Cooperation Council between the two countries set for December 7 in Thessaloniki, northern Greece.

Kairidis also extended an invitation to his Turkish colleague to Athens, which Yerlikaya accepted.