Türkiye, Greece must solve issues without third party involvement: Altun

Türkiye's Communications Director Fahrettin Altun has stressed that Türkiye and Greece must solve their problems bilaterally, without the involvement of third parties.

"Regional actors such as Türkiye and Greece must solve their problems within the framework of mutual understanding and national interests, without the need for guidance from third parties," Altun said on Saturday, addressing the Turkish-Greek Media and Academy Forum in Istanbul.

"This is exactly why the business initiatives put forward by Türkiye and Greece are very meaningful," he added.

The communications director further stated that the upcoming visit by Greek Prime Minister Kiryakos Mitsotakis on Monday was a crucial opportunity for strengthening bilateral relations.

Expressing that Türkiye is ready to support any initiative that would strengthen ties with Greece, Altun reassured that Ankara would maintain this stance in the future, by rooting for "good neighbourly relations and developing, expanding and diversifying our dialogue channels.”

Noting that Türkiye and Greece are geopolitically located in one of the most challenging regions of the world, Altun reminded the two countries are first and foremost neighbours whose ties are shaped by geographical proximity.

In his address to the forum on Saturday, Altun further stressed that global actors are "unfortunately ineffective and politically deficient" in the current international system.

"We are living in a period where strong, stable and prosperous regional actors must be effective," he said.