Turkish FM refers to ‘new page’ in ties with Athens
Speaking during a press conference in Ankara with visiting Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen, Cavusoglu sent a message of normalization of Türkiye’s relations with the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean, including Israel and Greece.
“We want stability and peace in our region. The steps we have taken to normalize our relations with the countries of the region, especially with Israel, are obvious. I hope that our solidarity during this earthquake will also be decisive in opening a new page with Greece. Therefore, like all countries in the region, we must continue to work for the stability, economic development and peace of our region,” he said.
"THANK YOU VERY MUCH FRIEND"
Meanwhile, the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet thanked Greece in its front page headline “Efxaristo poli file” (i.e. Thank you very much friend) on Tuesday for its aid and assistance in the areas affected by the February 6 earthquakes. The publication referred to the return of the members of the EMAK rescue unit to Greece after the completion of their mission.
In an indication of the climate of appreciation developing in Türkiye, Hurriyet columnist Hande Firat noted that Türkiye and Greece were on the brink of war until the earthquake but that the “the disaster made the leaders of the two countries put aside all tensions.”
“Both the president of Greece and the prime minister called President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. ‘We have experienced such pain together, we will always be with you,’ they both said on the phone. The images were shocking for the Greek foreign minister, who came to Türkiye to see the earthquake zone and conducted aerial inspections,” she wrote.
kathimerini
