Meeting set with Turkey to build confidence: Greece

DELPHI, Greece

Greek and Turkish representatives have decided to meet to seek ways to build confidence, Greece’s defense minister said Saturday.

“We continue our efforts to prevent tension [in the Mediterranean],” Evangelos Apostolakis told the Delphi Economic Forum in Greece, but gave no date for the meeting.

He added that Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had discussed security issues at a meeting on Feb. 5.

On its recently renamed northern neighbor, Apostolakis said: “NATO membership for Northern Macedonia suits our national interests.”

Northern Macedonia changed its name from Macedonia in order to remove the Greek veto from its NATO and EU membership.

The Delphi Economic Forum is a nonprofit organization which promotes growth policies for Greece, Europe, and countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region. This year’s forum lasts through Sunday.

Writing by Erdoğan Çağatay Zontur

DELPHI, Greece

Greek and Turkish representatives have decided to meet to seek ways to build confidence, Greece’s defense minister said Saturday.

“We continue our efforts to prevent tension [in the Mediterranean],” Evangelos Apostolakis told the Delphi Economic Forum in Greece, but gave no date for the meeting.

He added that Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had discussed security issues at a meeting on Feb. 5.

On its recently renamed northern neighbor, Apostolakis said: “NATO membership for Northern Macedonia suits our national interests.”

Northern Macedonia changed its name from Macedonia in order to remove the Greek veto from its NATO and EU membership.

The Delphi Economic Forum is a nonprofit organization which promotes growth policies for Greece, Europe, and countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region. This year’s forum lasts through Sunday.

Writing by Erdoğan Çağatay Zontur