Türkiye, Greece hold meeting on confidence-building measures

Delegations from Türkiye and Greece on Monday held a new round of discussions focused on confidence-building measures in the Turkish capital Ankara.

The Turkish National Defense Ministry hosted the meeting, which was attended by ambassadors, high-ranking military officers, and other officials.

National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler received Haris Lalacos, secretary-general of the Greek Foreign Ministry and adviser to the defense minister, who led the Greek defense delegation.

The two sides provisionally agreed to implement or reactivate a number of previously agreed-on confidence-building measures over the course of next year, according to a Turkish statement.

The meeting was held in a "positive spirit," the statement added, stressing that the next meeting will be hosted by the Greek side.

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 towards peace.