Turkey, Greece to take concrete steps to improve economic ties

Turkey and Greece will start taking concrete steps and working on joint projects to improve economic and commercial ties, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said after talks Athens, as the NATO members seek to repair ties.

Tensions flared last year over a dispute over maritime jurisdiction and offshore rights in the eastern Mediterranean.

Speaking at a news conference with his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias in Athens, Çavuşoğlu said they reached an understanding on 25 articles to improve commercial ties, and both countries would recognise each other's COVID-19 vaccinations, in a move to help tourism.

Çavuşoğlu said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis were planning to meet at the NATO summit in Brussels on June 14.

GREECE AIMING TO SMOOTH OUT "SERIOUS DIFFERENCES" WITH TURKEY

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias pledged on Monday to work to overcome the "serious differences" that remain with Turkey following a meeting with his counterpart Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu which aimed to reset relations after a public spat between the two last month.

"We are fully aware of the different, and in some very serious issues he diametrically opposed positions, that we have," he said in a brief statement following the meeting with Çavuşoğlu. "The purpose of today's meeting was to attempt an initial negotiation process and if possible, a gradual normalization of the situation over time."

The two countries, both members of the NATO alliance, are at odds over issues ranging from competing maritime territorial claims in the eastern Mediterranean to the status of Cyprus and the treatment of migrant boats.