Expressing determination for exploring all options to find a comprehensive and permanent solution to the Aegean dispute between Greece and his country, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu encouraged the Aegean neighbor to give up its decades-old perception of Turkey as a threat.
“Turkey and Greece should take advantages of the peace [existing] in their relations; however, for this to happen, disagreements between the two countries should be overcome,” Davutoğlu was quoted by the Anatolia news agency as saying in an interview with Kathimerini, a daily newspaper published in Athens.
“I don’t see any reason for us not to do this. However, for something like this to happen, it is first of all necessary to get rid of the wrong impression that Turkey is posing a threat to Greece and, of course, to resolve all problems in the Aegean,” Davutoğlu said, Today’s Zaman reports.
Davutoğlu’s remarks came ahead of his three-day official visit to the Greek capital at the invitation of his Greek counterpart, Dimitris Droutsas. During the visit, which will kick off on March 8, the two ministers will “exchange views on Turkish-Greek relations, which have gained a new impetus, as well as on the recent developments in regional and international matters,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said last week in a brief written statement.
