Dendias, Çavuşoğlu exchange warm words, appreciation amid backdrop of quake-devastated Antakya

Obvious shades of 1999’s “earthquake diplomacy” emerged on Sunday with a lightning visit by Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias to devastated Hatay province in southern Turkey, with his Turkish counterpart Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu greeting him at Adana airport and accompanying him to quake-ravaged Antakya.

Speaking before waiting television cameras and with Çavuşoğlu by his side, Dendias first expressed pride for the Greek search and rescue specialists that “helped Turkish society and the Turkish people in this difficult hour.”

He also conveyed the heartfelt condolences of the Greek people, government and PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis to the Turkish government and people for the victims of the devastating twin earthquakes that struck on Monday.

Dendias underlined that Athens will continue to support and assist the Turkish people, both on a national level and within the EU framework.

“I have a mandate from Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to assure you that Greece will do everything it can to support Turkey at this difficult time, either bilaterally or in the framework of its participation in the European Union,” he said.

In turn, Çavuşoğlu first touched on what repeated media reports had repeatedly cited over the previous days, namely, the prospect of a “thaw” in frosty relations in the wake of the deadly quakes, noting that “we need shouldn’t wait for natural disasters in order to improve our relations.”

Çavuşoğlu again thanked the Greek side for the support and solidarity, adding that good-neighborly relations become apparent in such trying times.

Çavuşoğlu said Dendias’ presence in the country demonstrated the support and solidarity of the Greek people toward the Turkish people, highlighting the fact that Greece was one of the first countries to contact Turkish authorities after the earthquake to offer support and declare a willingness to help with rescue teams and planes transporting humanitarian aid.