Yildirim says Greece, Turkey should not let outside forces affect relations

Binali Yildirim, the Istanbul mayoral candidate from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), said Greece and Turkey should not let bilateral relations be affected by outside forces, as any problems can be resolved between the two countries.

“There may be some people abroad who will want to provoke us and we should not fall into their trap,” he told private Greek broadcaster SKAI, adding that when outside forces interfere in bilateral relations, “everything goes wrong.”

Asked about the tense climate expressed in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean, he said this common in pre-election times, adding it should not be viewed as a given.

Yildirim, who served as Turkey’s prime minister from 2016 to 2018, said any disputes in the Aegean and over Cyprus can be resolved with “bilateral respect” and “remaining true to international law.”