Turkish, Greek defense ministers meet in Brussels

Türkiye's National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar on Thursday met with his Greek counterpart Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos as part of NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels.

During the meeting at NATO's headquarters, the duo discussed regional defense and security issues.

The Turkish defense minister also met with his US, German, French and British counterparts.

Following the meeting of the Nuclear Planning Group, Akar separately met with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd James Austin and German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht.

Akar also held a bilateral meeting with French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu, and before the family photo shoot of the NATO defense ministers, he had a conversation with British Defense Minister Ben Wallace.

During his meetings, Akar stressed that Türkiye, as a member of NATO for over 70 years and with the second largest army, contributed greatly to the Euro-Atlantic security and that export restrictions on Türkiye weakened Euro-Atlantic security.

Moreover, Akar reiterated Türkiye's call for solidarity in the fight against all kinds of terrorist groups, particularly the PKK/YPG terror group.

Touching on Türkiye's support for Ukraine and efforts to ensure a cease-fire, Akar also stressed the importance of diplomacy with regard to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

His counterparts thanked Akar for Türkiye's active role in achieving the grain corridor deal, the solution to the global food crisis and the role it played in the exchange of prisoners between Russia and Ukraine.

Bilateral, regional defense and security issues and cooperation in the defense industry were also discussed during his meetings.