Turkish, Greek ministers hold talks on illegal migration

ANKARA

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya has engaged in a series of bilateral discussions with Greek Shipping and Island Policy Minister Christos Stylianides, focusing primarily on addressing irregular migration in the Aegean Sea.

Hosting the Greek minister in the capital Ankara on Jan. 18, Yerlikaya stated that representatives from the two countries exchanged views on strengthening the cooperation between the two countries within the framework of the responsibilities of the two ministries.

"The ways of cooperation between the two nations were explored concerning the joint efforts against irregular migration and human trafficking. Additionally, the enhancement of cooperation and communication between the Turkish and Greek Coast Guard authorities was deliberated," Yerlikaya noted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Stylianides also paid a courtesy visit to the Turkish Coast Guard Command.

Both Türkiye and Greece, positioned strategically as a crucial point for the transit of irregular migrants to Europe over the past decade, have been combating human smuggling and illegal migration, particularly through maritime routes. With Türkiye holding migration talks with several countries, Ankara last year confirmed its collaboration with the U.K. to tackle illegal migration, stressing the agreement on intelligence sharing, particularly in combating migrant smugglers and addressing this mechanism.

Yerlikaya on Jan. 18 also held a telephone conversation with his German counterpart, Nancy Faeser.

"We discussed matters of collaboration between our ministries, primarily focusing on internal security, disasters, terrorism, organized crime, drug trafficking and irregular migration," Yerlikaya said.