Turkey's shift in tone after three years of tension is welcome, says Greece's FM

Turkey's "shift in tone, after three years of tension, is welcome," said Greek Foreign Affairs Minister Nikos Dendias in an interview to 'Ta Nea' daily newspaper.

It also "allows for relative optimism for the possibility of a shift from a revisionary 'model' of bilateral relations, to a climate of good neighborliness that will be governed by respect for fundamental principles of International Law, and will ensure conditions of peace and stability in our broader region," Dendias added.

The minister did, however, point out that "we should not forget that we stand, always, in a complex regional environment, in a period of political developments within Türkiye, in view of the upcoming election."

"Certainly, the decline in tension -that until now characterized Turkish rhetoric- can be used to form a new framework of approach," he noted.

Furthermore, he emphasised that "we cannot associate Greece's [humanitarian] aid to the struggling Turkish people with any geopolitical developments, or with any type of effort, or any differences," adding that "in any case, I hold the statement of my counterpart and friend Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, who expressed the hope that efforts will be made to resolve our differences -coastline and EEZ- through dialogue," he highlighted.

After the earthquakes of February 6, Turkey is faced with an unprecedented disaster, the consequences of which have not yet been fully assessed, Dendias noted.