Turkey's president tells the Greek press that ties are no longer negative as he starts a two-day visit in Athens.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has told the Greek media negative relations between the two countries are now history. It’s hoped his two-day visit to Athens will improve the often frosty relationship between the NATO allies.
Turkey’s ties with both the EU and the US are also expected to be on the table as the Panteion University's International Relations Research Director, Constantinos Filis, explained.
"It's an attempt on the Turkish president's behalf to de-escalate tensions with the European Union, as the Turkish economy is very much dependent on European capital and as he (Erdogan) foresees that relations with the US might take a negative prospect, a further negative prospect, I think that Erdogan, as I said before, has come to the conclusion that he cannot stand both fronts at the same time with the West."
"If he decides to attack the EU and the US from a European capital, that is Athens, then this will create a very serious problem for the Greek government, because the Greek government will have to respond. It cannot legitimise by not responding to Erdogan's positions against the West", he added.
Complex regional issues on the agenda will include the island of Cyprus, which has been divided since 1974, sovereignty in the Aegean Sea and a deal struck with Turkey to slow down the flow of migrants into the EU.