Burak Akçapar

A meeting between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was underway in Ankara on Monday, in a one-day visit aimed at maintaining the positive momentum achieved in bilateral ties in recent months.

Political leaders continue touring the country ahead of the upcoming European elections on June 9, despite an expected slowdown this week due to the Easter holidays.

Two opinion polls released over the weekend suggest that the ruling New Democracy party is on track to achieve the 33% support target set by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Greece-Turkey

Turkey's Deputy Foreign Minister, Ambassador Burak Akcapar, transitions to a permanent role as the country's representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva, according to Turkey's state television network TRT.

Previously overseeing key aspects of Greek-Turkish relations, Akcapar was involved in discussions with Greece.

Deputy Foreign Minister Kostas Fragogiannis is set to land in Istanbul on Friday for talks with Turkish counterpart Burak Akcapar as part of the dialogue on the Positive Agenda between Greece and Turkey. 

Delegations from Türkiye and Greece were meeting in Athens yesterday as part of long-standing efforts to improve often tense relations between the two neighbors.

Greek and Turkish delegations will on Monday hold a meeting on Confidence Building Measures at the Defense Ministry in Athens, according to an announcement on Sunday.

The delegations will be led by Greek Ambassador Theocharis Lalacos and Turkish Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Burak Akcapar. Additionally, high-level Armed Forces officers from both countries will be in attendance.

Senior Turkish and American diplomats have exchanged views on unfolding developments in the Middle East and the Ukraine-Russia war, as well as bilateral ties ahead of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's planned trip to Washington in early May.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with U.S. Under Secretary for Management John Bass at the Foreign Ministry headquarters in capital Ankara on Monday, according to the ministry.

High-ranking Greek and Turkish officials will meet in Athens on Monday, April 22.

The agenda, whose details are not yet known, will focus on the so-called Confidence Building Measures. It is part of the effort to maintain communications between the two NATO allies and avoid tensions.

The atmosphere at last Monday's meeting between the two deputy foreign ministers of Greece and Turkey, Alexandra Papadopoulou and Burak Akcapar, respectively, was, as expected between two experienced diplomats, very good.