Turkey and Greece exchanged condolences after earthquake

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in a telephone conversation expressed condolences to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in connection with the earthquake in the Turkish province of Izmir. He told about this on his Twitter.

“I just called President Erdogan to offer condolences over the tragic loss of life due to the earthquake that affected both countries. Whatever our differences may be, there are times when our people need to stick together, ”Mitsotakis wrote.

Erdogan responded to the Greek prime minister on Twitter. “Thank you, Prime Minister. On behalf of myself and the Turkish people, I express my condolences. Turkey is always ready to help Greece heal its wounds, ”he wrote.

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias also expressed his condolences in a telephone conversation with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu. This was reported on the Twitter page of the Greek Foreign Ministry. Dendias has announced his readiness to send a Natural Disaster Management Force (EMAK) to Turkey to help free the people trapped in the rubble.

According to the latest data, voiced by Erdogan in his address, as a result of the earthquake in the Turkish province of Izmir, 12 people were killed and 438 people were injured. Search and rescue operations continue at the scene.

Relations between Turkey and Greece have deteriorated due to a dispute over the ownership of the waters in the Ionian and Mediterranean seas. Ankara periodically conducts geological exploration in the offshore section, which Greece and Cyprus call part of their exclusive economic zones. In 2019, Turkey signed an agreement with the Libyan authorities to delimit maritime zones in the Mediterranean to the detriment of Athens.

The agreement was criticized by the authorities of Greece and the European Union. Mitsotakis said the country plans to expand the western border of its territorial waters in the Ionian Sea. On August 29, Turkish authorities warned that the expansion of Greece’s territorial waters up to 12 nautical miles could cause a military conflict. In June, the Greek defense minister announced his readiness for war with Turkey over the migration crisis and territorial dispute.

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