President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis held a joint press conference on Wednesday evening after their tête-à-tête talks, the 6th Meeting of the Türkiye-Greece High-Level Cooperation Council, and the signing ceremony of a new set of bilateral agreements at the Presidential Complex in Ankara.

Addressing reporters alongside Prime Minister Mitsotakis, President Erdoğan conveyed optimism about the direction of Turkish-Greek relations, saying the two sides had discussed “how we can advance our relations based on positive agenda items” and underlined the importance of sustained high-level engagement.

“I hope the documents we have just signed will further strengthen the contractual basis of our relations,” Erdoğan said, reiterating his government’s goal of boosting bilateral trade — which reached nearly $7 billion last year — to $10 billion through expanded economic cooperation.

The agreements signed on Wednesday cover a broad range of sectors, including investment, maritime trade, earthquake preparedness, cultural exchange, science and technology cooperation, and enhanced coordination on foreign policy matters. Officials said the accords aim to deepen practical cooperation while sustaining political dialogue between Ankara and Athens.

Following the council meeting, the two leaders presided over an official signing ceremony, during which seven memoranda of understanding and joint declarations were formalized by ministers and senior officials from both countries.

At the joint press conference, Erdoğan and Mitsotakis also addressed longstanding disputes between the neighboring NATO members, particularly in the Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean. Erdoğan stressed that, although complex, these issues are “not insurmountable” if approached through international law and constructive dialogue. Mitsotakis echoed the need for maintaining open channels of communication, acknowledging disagreements on maritime boundaries and other sensitive topics but emphasizing the importance of seizing the current momentum for cooperation.

The summit comes amid a broader effort by both Ankara and Athens to strengthen dialogue and reduce bilateral tensions, building on earlier declarations aimed at fostering stability and deeper strategic engagement. (ILKHA)