Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos

In a bid to enhance bilateral relations between the two countries, Türkiye and Greece have canceled their scheduled military exercises in the Aegean Sea, and are holding small-scale training instead.

Greek Defense Minister Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos paid a solidarity visit to quake-hit southern Hatay province on April 4, accompanied by his Turkish counterpart, Hulusi Akar.

Greek Defense Minister Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos will visit Türkiye upon the invitation of his Turkish counterpart, Hulusi Akar.

Akar and Panagiotopoulos will visit the quake-hit southern Hatay province on April 4. The two ministers will also have a bilateral meeting.

The death of the mother of Greek Defense Minister Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos opened a new channel of communication between Türkiye and Greece amid escalating tensions between the two countries.

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has admitted that he invited his Greek counterpart, Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos, and his wife to Türkiye to create a positive atmosphere amid the increasing tension between the two countries.

"I invited Panagiotopoulos to Türkiye with his wife when we were in Brussels," Akar said during an exclusive interview on Oct. 20.

Greece has hit the button to actualize 13 military projects worth some 800 million euros, including the enlargement of a navy base in the Souda Bay of the island of Crete that will cost around 190 million euros.

According to Defense Minister Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos, sending large quantities of weapons to Ukraine could weaken Greece's defense, especially on the islands.
Greece, by the way, sent two transport planes to Ukraine earlier, as part of the military assistance aid-package.

Defense Minister Hulusi Akar on Feb. 16 attended NATO meetings in Brussels amid a crisis between the Alliance and Russia over the latter's military build-up in eastern Ukraine. Akar also had a bilateral meeting with his Greek counterpart after a fresh debate between the two neighbors over the status of the Aegean islands.

Turkish National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar met on Oct. 21 with his U.S., British, Greek and Spanish counterparts in Brussels. Akar and British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace discussed bilateral and regional defense and security as well as defense industry cooperation.

The 63rd round of the consultative talks between Turkey and Greece will take place in Ankara on Oct. 6, Foreign Ministry said in a written statement on Oct. 1.

The statement came on the same day when Turkey condemned a statement by Greece about the maritime jurisdiction regarding the Greek-French defense deal.