The Turkish government has the will to improve relations with Greece in all fields and is ready to deal with all current issues, Erdoğan told Papandreou in his letter sent on Oct. 30, the Prime Ministry Press Office said on Wednesday. Erdoğan also offered a series of proposals for creating new cooperation opportunities within this framework, the office said, without elaborating on the content of the proposals.
The Aegean neighbors have a shaky relationship and came to the brink of war three times between 1974 and 1996 over Cyprus and territorial rights in the Aegean Sea. Papandreou championed rapprochement between Greece and Turkey when he served as foreign minister between 1999 and 2004. Improved relations followed devastating earthquakes that hit both countries in 1999 and sparked mutual sympathy among Greeks and Turks.
In his letter, Erdoğan underlined that bilateral relations based on mutual respect and understanding between Greece and Turkey would eventually have a positive impact on regional peace and stability.
Last month, Papandreou paid his first foreign trip to Turkey on the occasion of an informal meeting of the Southeast European Cooperation Process (SECCP), which was hosted by Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu.
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