PM: Turkey ready to do all it can to back crisis-hit Greece

ANKARA

DHA photo

Turkey will do all it can to support neighboring Greece as it deals with its acute financial crisis, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu told his Justice and Development Party (AKP) group in parliament on June 30 in his first address since the June 7 elections. 

“We are ready to do whatever we can in terms of cooperation in tourism, energy and trade,” the prime minister said. 

Turkey will also move on to convene a high-level cooperation council with Greece to discuss the mutual steps against the crisis in Greece once the new government in Turkey is founded, he said. 

No party in Turkey gained enough parliamentary seats to found a government alone in Turkey in the polls, but the AKP netted the most votes.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has also spoken with his Greek counterpart, Nikos Kotzias, upon the latter’s request, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said late June 29.

The two ministers exchanged views on Greece’s economic crisis and bilateral cooperation between the two Aegean neighbors, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency, which noted that Kotzias’ recent tour of the Balkans was also discussed.

A separate statement by the Greek Foreign Ministry underlined that the conversation took place “in a very warm atmosphere.”

“Mr. Çavuşoğlu assured Mr. Kotzias of the solidarity of the Turkish people and the political and state leadership of Turkey with the Greek government’s efforts to reach a mutually beneficial agreement with its partners in the eurozone,” the Greek Foreign Ministry said.

Turkey’s Aegean neighbor will conduct a referendum on July 5 about whether to continue with the harsh austerity measures that have been dictated by international creditors, impoverishing the country.