'Focus on positive agenda': President Erdoğan, Greece’s PM Mitsotakis meet in İstanbul

* Photo: Presidency of Turkey

President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis met for a lunch meeting in İstanbul yesterday (March 13).

As reported by the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) based on a statement released by the Presidency's Communications Directorate, President Erdoğan and Prime Minister Mitsotakis "agreed to improve bilateral relations and to focus on a positive agenda." The closed door lunch meeting started at 2 pm local time in Turkey at the Vahdettin Mansion in İstanbul.

Apart from bilateral relations, many regional and global developments, including the latest geopolitical issues and repercussions of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, were reportedly discussed at the meeting.

It was stressed during the meeting that "Turkey and Greece bear a special responsibility in Europe's security architecture, which has changed with the Russian attack on Ukraine," the statement read.

The meeting also "focused on the mutual and regional benefits of increasing cooperation between the two countries." The leaders also "agreed to improve bilateral relations and keep communication channels open, despite disagreements between the countries," the statement said.

The steps to be taken to reach the 10 billion USD bilateral trade volume were reportedly also discussed in the meeting.

Greece-based Ekathimerini news website has also reported that the meeting concluded after approximately an hour and a half.

"We have a lot to talk about," Mitsotakis said as the two leaders were preparing to sit down over lunch, referring to the invasion of Ukraine and the recent peace efforts between the two sides in Antalya. "We shall discuss everything," answered Erdoğan, noting that he was satisfied with the results of the conference but stressed that there are still many outstanding issues.

Meeting with Patriarch Bartholomew

Earlier, Mitsotakis attended a service at İstanbul's Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarchate. He also met with the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at Greece's consulate before flying back to Athens. He has shared the following video from the meeting on his social media account:

Στη συνάντηση με την ΑΘΠ τον Οικουμενικό Πατριάρχη κ.κ. Βαρθολομαίο εξέφρασα τη συγκίνησή μου για την ευκαιρία που μου δόθηκε σήμερα, Κυριακή της Ορθοδοξίας, να βρεθώ μαζί του στην κοίτη της Ορθοδοξίας, στο Φανάρι, ενώ τον ενημέρωσα για τη συνάντησή μου με τον Πρόεδρο Ερντογάν. pic.twitter.com/DgAtHGHuRT

— Prime Minister GR (@PrimeministerGR) March 13, 2022

The Prime Minister has indicated that "in the meeting with the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, he expressed his feelings for the opportunity given to him to be with him on Orthodox Sunday in Fener while he informed him about his meeting with President Erdoğan."

As reported further by Ekathimerini, Mitsotakis told Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, "I must tell you, it was a meeting that took place in a good atmosphere. I hope we agreed we face so many challenges as humanity and as two NATO allies at this time that it is more important to focus on what unites us and less than on what divides us."

"We always say that good relations between the two countries affect the life of the Ecumenical Patriarchate [...] and we feel the impact of occasional bad relations 'on our skin,' as our people say. That's why every step to build mutual trust between the two governments and the two peoples fills us with joy," Bartholomew reportedly replied. (SD)