Erdogan expresses willingness to improve Greece-Turkey relations ahead of Athens visit
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed a willingness to foster closer relations between Greece and Turkey, just days ahead of his official visit to Athens on December 7. Addressing his party’s parliamentary group on Wednesday, he expressed hope that the visit would “usher in a new chapter in the relations between the two countries.”
Erdogan emphasized a clear diplomatic stance, stating, “We do not view diplomacy as a zero-sum game. For us, diplomacy is a significant opportunity for both sides to meet on a rational basis. It is an opportunity for both sides to gain on the principle of win-win. It is natural for there to be differences and disagreements between countries. The important thing is to have the willingness to resolve differences before they become knots. We possess this willingness,” Erdogan said, asserting that this would be Turkey’s approach during the upcoming visit.
While acknowledging that there will always be those seeking to exploit such differences, Erdogan stated, “However, this reality does not mean that as two neighboring countries, we cannot find common ground, sharing the same sea, the same climate, the same geography.”
“With mutual trust, there are many chapters where we can enhance our collaborations. In our visit, we aim to focus our attention on these. I hope our visit to Greece will lead to the opening of a new chapter in the relations between our countries,” he concluded.
