Greek defense minister pays solidarity visit to Hatay

HATAY

Greek Defense Minister Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos paid a solidarity visit to quake-hit southern Hatay province on April 4, accompanied by his Turkish counterpart, Hulusi Akar.

Speaking at a joint press conference, Akar thanked his counterpart for the support provided by Greece in the very first days of the Feb. 6 earthquakes. The Greek government was among the first to send emergency teams to southern Türkiye, the minister recalled.

Touching upon the long-standing disputes between Ankara and Athens, Akar said the two neighbors must resolve these problems within international law and by peaceful means.

“I believe with all my heart that Türkiye and Greece can solve these problems by peaceful means. As our neighboring countries, our problems and our friendship are multidimensional. Our wish is for the doors of dialogue to open without waiting for a new disaster,” Akar stated.

The minister expressed his hope that the Aegean and the Mediterranean become “truly a sea of friendship” and that the people of the two neighbors live in prosperity.

Greek minister, for his part, offered his condolences to the people who lost their lives in the earthquakes. “Today, in my meeting with my dear friend Hulusi and his team, we have to talk about how we will tackle new challenges in terms of climate change and natural disasters,” he said.

“Greece has done its part from the very first minutes. We will continue to do our best to show friendship,” he said.

Türkiye and Greece are at odds over some differences in the Aegean Sea, including territorial waters, airspace and other disputed matters. Ankara also accuses Athens of continued violation of 1923 and 1947 treaties that stipulate demilitarized status to the Greek islands in proximity to the Turkish mainland.

Despite a history of rivalry that goes back centuries and the strained ties in the past few years over the clash of interests in the Mediterranean, the two neighbors have stepped up for solidarity over deadly incidents in the past two months.

Greece was among the first countries to send rescue teams and offer aid to Türkiye after the devastating Feb. 6 earthquakes. Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias paid a visit to Türkiye in a show of support after the quakes.

Accordingly, immediately after the train crash in northern Greece in which 57 people lost their lives, Türkiye offered condolence and aid.

After the accident, Türkiye allowed the transfer of a Greek prisoner to Greece to attend his son’s funeral.