Turkey and Greece, it is necessary to strengthen relations through mutual understanding, economic cooperation and cultural exchange. This was said in an interview with the Greek newspaper Ta Nea, the head of the Relations Department under the Administration of the President of Turkey Fakhretin Altun.
“The prosperity of future generations depends on the strengthening of bilateral relations. Completing understanding, expanding trade capabilities, deepening the connections between people and the desire for general prosperity will go for a common good. Paying priority attention to these goals, we can guarantee that those who want to interfere progress and block the path to cooperation and the world, ”said Altun.
He called for mutual respect for such sensitive issues as the Aegean Sea and the Turkish minority in Greece.
“It would be useful to understand that the Aegean Sea is not a Greek lake, and that Turkey with its long coastline shares this sea and has legal rights and vital interests in the region,” he said.
At the same time, he emphasized the need for the peaceful settlement of existing disagreements in accordance with international law.
“The Turkish minority strives for the official recognition of its chosen religious leaders and the freedom of expression of its ethnic identity without fear of legal or administrative consequences, similar to freedoms that the Greek minority in Turkey uses,” he said.
Touching upon the Cyprus problem, Altun recalled the failure of many years of negotiations under the auspices of the UN of the “two -zone, bicomat region”.
“The time has come to recognize the reality in the field: the existence of two separate peoples and two separate states on the island of Cyprus. Neither Turks -Cypriots nor Turkey want to spend another 60 years,” he said.
Touching on the next year of the 6th meeting of the Council of High-level cooperation in Ankara, the head of the department expressed optimism regarding the further development of bilateral ties. He noted that consultations in this format cover a wide range of topics and involve the interaction of the parties at a high level.
Altun praised the success of the joint candidates of Turkey and Greece as an organization for security and cooperation in Europe, calling this event a certificate of the presence of a potential for cooperation between the two countries at international venues.
“Despite the existence of unresolved disagreements on some issues, the problems that both countries are faced with, as well as our interests in the region and beyond, coincide in many ways. Cooperation allows us to switch attention from conflicts to common goals,” summarized He.