Greece and Turkey signed a declaration of friendship and good neighborliness

On December 7, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a declaration of friendship and good neighborliness in Athens as a new step in the normalization of relations.

The signed document says that Greece and Turkey recognize that deepening cooperation between the countries will contribute to prosperity in the region for the benefit of both Greek and Turkish societies and declare their intention to strengthen bilateral cooperation and intensify mutual visits, Greek media reported.

Both sides promise to refrain from statements and steps that could harm peace and stability in the region and that, in case of disputes, they will seek to resolve them through direct consultations or other means by mutual agreement, as provided for in the UN Charter.

“The Athens Declaration does not have the status of a legally binding agreement.

Erdogan’s visit to Athens to sign the document was his first visit to Greece in six years.

Territorial disputes in the Mediterranean and the partial occupation of Cyprus by Turkish forces have repeatedly sparked tensions between the two NATO member countries in recent years. At times, they have resulted in concrete threats to Athens from Ankara.

After the re-election of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis this summer, the leaders spoke of their intention to reset relations.