The representative of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oncu Ketselistated that the meeting of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alexandra Papadopoulou, with her Turkish counterpart, Ambassador Burak Aksapar in Ankara, in the context of the political dialogue between the Greek and Turkish Foreign Ministries, was held in a positive atmosphere.

According to the Turkish news agency Anadolu, citing the representative of the Turkish Foreign Ministry, issues such as the planning of high-level contacts and visits, issues concerning the Aegean, the situation of minorities, consular relations, illegal immigration and cooperation in combating terrorism, the mutual protection of cultural heritage and the cooperation to mutually support the candidacies of each country in international organizations.

It was pointed out at the meeting that, according to the “Athens Declaration on Friendly Relations and Good Neighbourhood” signed by the leaders of the two countries during the High Level Cooperation Council held in Athens last December, arguments and actions should be avoided which could create tension.

Mr. Ketseli stated that the positive agenda was also discussed, such as the course of preparations for the implementation of visas for tourist visits of Turkish citizens to 10 Greek islands.

He recalled that at the meeting in Athens an agreement was reached in principle for the visit of the Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, to Ankara, responding to the invitation of the Turkish president. “Work to determine the date of the visit in May is ongoing. Before the visit of Prime Minister Mr. Mitsotakis, a series of other visits are planned, which will also serve as preparation for the visit,” said Mr. Ketseli.

In this context, it was decided to hold a meeting on April 15 in Ankara between Deputy Foreign Minister Costas Fragogiannis and his Turkish counterpart Burak Aksapar, for the implementation of a joint action plan with a positive agenda for cooperation between the two countries in various fields, including of the economy.

The Turkish representative confirmed that the meeting on Confidence Building Measures is scheduled to take place in Athens on 22 April.

Finally, he mentioned that various agreements are expected to be signed during the visit of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to Turkey and that there is an increasing dynamic in contacts and visits with Greece from the beginning of 2023.