Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will meet with Turkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, the capital of Turkiye, on the 13th (local time).
Erdogan stated in an interview with Greek daily Kathimerini on the 12th that he hopes this meeting will elevate the relations between the two countries to an unprecedented level.
He stated that he plans to focus on resolving bilateral issues with Prime Minister Mitsotakis, and emphasized that it is up to them to relieve the bilateral relations to ensure that peace and tranquility last forever on both sides of the Aegean Sea.
AFP reported that Prime Minister Mitsotakis’ visit to Turkiye, which comes five months after Erdogan visited Greece last December, could mark a new phase in the relationship between the two countries.
Through a summit last December, Turkiye and Greece agreed to improve relations and signed agreements in various sectors including trade, energy, education, agriculture, sports, technology, and tourism. The two countries have been at odds over territorial disputes in the Aegean Sea and the Cyprus conflict since the 19th century.
The two countries have been seeking to improve relations since Greece offered support to Turkey, which experienced a massive earthquake last February. However, they continue to have conflicts over issues such as illegal immigration and the conversion of Byzantine architectural structures in Turkiye into Islamic mosques.
Following the conversion of the Hagia Sophia into a mosque, Turkiye reopened the Kariye Museum on the 7th as a mosque after four years of renovation.
In an interview with Greek broadcaster Alpha TV on the 11th, Prime Minister Mitsotakis said he would pressure President Erdogan during the meeting to return Kariye.