Erdoğan aims to forge new ties in upcoming meet with Greek PM

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has expressed hope that his upcoming meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will mark a significant turning point in the historically strained ties between the two nations.

The high-level cooperation council meeting scheduled for Dec. 7 in Thessaloniki will see Erdoğan and Mitsotakis leading discussions on various fronts, including trade, tourism, transportation, migration, security and energy.

The president emphasized his commitment to a policy of expanding friendships and resolving disagreements before they escalate into irreparable conflicts.

"It is natural to have disagreements between countries... The main thing is the will to solve them before they turn into a deadlock. This is our approach to our planned Dec. 7 visit to Greece," Erdoğan said during his ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) group meeting on Nov. 29.

Acknowledging existing disputes, Erdoğan highlighted the shared climate and sea between the two countries as grounds for finding common ground. "There are many topics where we can improve our cooperation. I hope that our trip will be instrumental in opening a new page for our countries," he added.

Recent positive gestures from both sides have paved the way for the upcoming discussions, signaling a departure from longstanding tensions rooted in territorial disputes, differences in maritime boundaries and divergent political ideologies.

The thaw in relations gained momentum following Greece's swift response to the devastating earthquakes in southeastern Türkiye in February, where they sent rescue teams and aid. The solidarity between the two nations deepened after a tragic train crash in northern Greece, with Ankara expressing condolences and providing assistance.

Netanyahu 'butcher of Gaza'

Meanwhile, Erdoğan again blasted Israel for the scale of death and destruction caused by its offensives in Gaza.

The president branded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "the butcher of Gaza" and accused him of spawning anti-Semitism across the world.

"Netanyahu is endangering the security of all Jews in the world by supporting anti-Semitism with the murders he committed in Gaza."

Erdoğan said Netanyahu's government is complicating efforts to extend the Israel-Hamas truce.

"Statements made by the Netanyahu administration diminish our hopes for the humanitarian pause to be transformed into a lasting ceasefire," he said.

Following Hamas' onslaught over the border, Israel's subsequent air and ground campaign in Gaza has killed nearly 15,000 people, mostly civilians, according to Hamas officials, and reduced large parts of the north of the territory to rubble.