Samaras to meet Erdogan on sidelines of NATO summit in Wales

Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and newly-elected Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet on the sidelines of the upcoming NATO summit in Wales, according to reports.

The unofficial meeting was reportedly requested by Erdogan who recently irked the governments in Athens and Nicosia with calls for a two-state solution on the divided island.

“It is not possible for us to reach any agreement that is not based on a two-state solution,” Erdogan said during a visit to Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus on Monday.

“Greece and the Greek Cypriots should demonstrate the same goodwill,” he said.

The NATO summit at Newport's Celtic Manor will take place 4 and 5 September. Samaras will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos and Defense Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos.