Türkiye’s Victory Day celebrated in Athens with Embassy Reception
The event, held at the Embassy residence under the auspices of Ambassador Çağatay Erciyes, brought together foreign mission representatives, officials from the Hellenic Armed Forces and government, Embassy and Consulate staff, as well as members of the Turkish community.
In his opening remarks, Ambassador Erciyes read President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Victory Day message sent to Turkish diplomatic missions. He emphasized the significance of the August 30 victory in paving the way for the Lausanne Peace Treaty and the foundation of the Republic of Türkiye.
Touching on Turkish-Greek relations, Erciyes highlighted the positive climate between the two neighbors, noting concrete progress in sectors such as economy, trade, tourism, and culture. He stated that preserving this momentum would benefit both countries and create a framework to resolve all outstanding issues.
Erciyes shared figures showing that in 2024, 1.2 million Turkish citizens visited Greece, while more than 700,000 Greek citizens traveled to Türkiye, with bilateral trade exceeding $6.2 billion and continuing to rise in 2025.
Recalling President Erdoğan’s remarks during his December 7, 2023 visit to Athens, Erciyes stressed that Türkiye has never considered Greece an enemy, and that there is no problem that cannot be solved through dialogue. He underlined that issues should be addressed on the basis of international law and good neighborly relations, with mutual respect for legitimate rights and interests, and with the spirit of friendship rather than enmity.
