Turkish FM to meet Greece’s counterpart on April 14th in Turkey

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu announced today, Wednesday, that he will receive the Greek foreign minister on April 14 in Turkey.

Greece and Turkey began a new round of exploratory talks in the Greek capital, Athens on Tuesday.

The two countries are seeking to reach a common vision in a long-running maritime border dispute ahead of a European Union summit this month.

The exploratory talks aim to lay the groundwork for formal negotiations, but the two countries have made little progress in more than 60 rounds of talks since 2002 and failed even to agree on the issues under discussion.

It is worth noting, that the Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias had said that he was ready to meet with his Turkish counterpart, but any meeting "must be held in an appropriate atmosphere."

European leaders are expected to discuss the eastern Mediterranean issue at a meeting on March 25-26

The Greek newspaper "Kathimerini" reported that the Foreign Minister discussed with his American counterpart a file concerning Turkey that remained out of the attention of international politics for a long time.

reek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias has expressed his desire to meet his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu.

In a statement following his meeting with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki yesterday in the capital, Athens, he said: "The principles of the foreign policy of Greece are fully committed to international law and maritime law."

He pointed out that "political negotiations between the foreign ministries of the two countries will take place in Athens on Wednesday."

He expressed his hope to "find common ground on the issue of the continental shelf and the exclusive economic zone between Turkey and Greece in the Aegean and the eastern Mediterranean, based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and International Law."

On the other hand, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar downplayed the joint military maneuvers between Greece and Saudi Arabia, noting that it means nothing in front of Turkey's military capabilities.

"They have to know and see that they cannot achieve anything with this, and there is no military value for these maneuvers in front of Turkey and its armed forces," Akar said in statements carried by the Turkish TRT channel.

He said, "As usual, we respect international laws and dialogue, but unfortunately Greece continues to act in a threatening manner that is inconsistent with good neighborliness, increases tension, and impedes the establishment of good neighborly relations."