Turkish President Erdogan heads to Greece for talks

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday departed for Greece to hold talks on bilateral relations between Ankara and Athens, as well as regional issues.

Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will co-chair the 5th meeting of the Türkiye-Greece High Level Cooperation Council to review all aspects of bilateral relations, and to address steps to improve cooperation, according to Türkiye's Communications Directorate.

Regional and international developments will also be on the agenda of discussions.

Türkiye and Greece have experienced a tumultuous relationship over the years. Although 2021 saw some improvements, several issues remain unresolved between the two neighboring countries.

Türkiye, a NATO member for over 70 years, has protested repeated provocative actions and rhetoric by Greece in the region in recent years, including arming islands near Turkish shores that are demilitarized under longstanding treaties, saying that such moves frustrate its good faith efforts toward peace.