"We are fully ready to support any initiative that will strengthen and cement our friendship with Greece."
On December 3, 2024, Fahrettin Altun, Türkiye's Director of Communications, expressed strong support for initiatives that aim to enhance Türkiye-Greece relations. Speaking via video message at the Turkish-Greek Media and Academia Forum held in Athens, Altun emphasized Türkiye's readiness to back any efforts that would strengthen the friendship between the two countries.
The forum, organized by the Turkish Studies Foundation and the Greek Global Relations Institute, aimed to deepen dialogue between Turkey and Greece, promoting mutual understanding and cooperation. Altun hoped the forum would answer the question, "What more can we do together?" and foster closer ties between the two nations.
He highlighted that both countries, when needed, have always supported each other and maintained the spirit of friendship and good neighborliness. Altun recalled the historic visit of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Athens last year, which was a significant symbol of positive dialogue. He also noted that the Athens Declaration signed by President Erdoğan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis laid the groundwork for cooperation across all fields.
Altun stressed that both countries share numerous common interests, such as trade, tourism, energy, transport, telecommunications, and more, including the topics of sport and culture, which were the focus of the forum. He underlined the unifying power of sport and culture, especially in an era where mutual understanding is crucial, and emphasized their role as "soft power" tools for bringing nations closer together.
Addressing the need for continued dialogue, Altun remarked that both Turkey and Greece must listen to and understand each other more. He added that despite tensions in the region, the points that unite the two countries far outnumber those that divide them.
He concluded by stating that Türkiye remains committed to reinforcing the bond with Greece, and emphasized the importance of sincerity, justice, and fairness in strengthening relations between the two countries.
