Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias arrived in Turkey on Sunday to mark, despite a long history of rivalry, Athens' support for its neighbor hit by a violent earthquake, his ministry announced.
This visit is the first on the part of a European minister to Turkey since the disaster which occurred last Monday, which killed more than 28,000 people in this country and in Syria.
Nikos Dendias met his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu, according to images from the public broadcaster ERT TV, before traveling with him by helicopter to the devastated regions.
The ministers will notably travel to Antakya, where Greek rescue workers are taking part in search and rescue operations.
Nikos Dendras will also look into ways to increase assistance from Greece.
Tradition of mutual assistance
Greece, despite a centuries-old history of rivalry with Turkey, was one of the first European countries to send rescuers and humanitarian aid to its neighbor just hours after the disaster.
The two countries, partners within NATO, oppose in particular on the migration issue while Athens is accused of turning back migrants at its border with Turkey.
They also disagree on the issue of hydrocarbons in the Mediterranean against the background of the questioning of borders by Ankara.
But Greece and Turkey, both located on seismic faults, also have a tradition of mutual assistance in the face of this type of natural disaster.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis spoke on Monday by telephone with President Erdogan to offer "
immediate help
".
The Greek government has so far sent 80 tons of medical aid and first aid equipment to Turkey.
