Turkish and Greek foreign ministers discuss troubled ties in a more friendly climate

Greece’s foreign minister met with his Turkish counterpart on Tuesday for talks aimed at improving ties between the NATO allies that are at loggerheads over a string of decades-old disputes. Discussions between Greece’s Giorgos Gerapetritis and Turkey’s Hakan Fidan are taking place in a more friendly climate triggered by Greece sending assistance to Turkey following a devastating earthquake earlier this year, and Turkey offering condolences after a deadly train accident in Greece. The talks are expected to focus on a possible resumption of stalled high-level contacts aimed at reducing tensions between the two countries. The meeting comes as Ankara, in the throes of an economic downturn, is seeking a reset of its often-troubled relations with Western nations.