“We are trying to increase our friends. We have no problem that we cannot solve with the countries in our region,” Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said tonight after a cabinet meeting in Ankara.

Regarding Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ visit to Turkey, he said that “like a two-headed eagle of the Seljuks, we are developing our relations with East and West” and did not fail to send a message to Brussels regarding his country’s European perspective.

In his statement he said:

“We are trying to increase our friends. We are trying to strengthen our relations with our neighbours. We believe that there is no door that dialogue and negotiations cannot open. As long as there is an approach with good intentions and an opportunity for diplomacy. The next step will certainly come with a little effort and a little sacrifice.

Tomorrow we will host my brother Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah, the Emir of Kuwait, in our country. Next week, on Monday, the Prime Minister of Greece, Mr Mitsotakis, will be in Ankara on an official visit. Like the two-headed eagle of the Seljuks, we will seek to develop our relations with the East and the West on the basis of our common interests.

Regarding Euro-Turkish issues, Erdogan said: “Turkey is willing to improve its relations with the European Union and its member states as long as the principles of law and Pacta Sunt Servanda (agreements must be respected) are respected. However, for this to happen, the European Union must first get rid of its strategic blindness and stop excluding Turkey.

Turkey is the only way out of the tug-of-war in which Europe is locked due to the competition between the powers in the East and West of Europe. The sooner European leaders see and accept this reality, the better it will be for them.”

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Athens’ message

Speaking recently about Greece-Turkey relations and his upcoming trip to the neighbouring country, the Greek prime minister had sent the message that “approaches are enforced and that no illusions are allowed.”

“Despite the calm that now prevails in the Aegean, we should not forget that the eastern neighbours are also accelerating their own arms programme. Approaches are therefore necessary, but under no circumstances should illusions be allowed, and we all have to be proactive but never naive, remaining committed to the compass that points to international law, peace and cooperation”, Kyriakos Mitsotakis had said.