Greek minister makes rare visit to Turkey as tensions ease

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s defense minister says NATO members Turkey and Greece can resolve their disputes through peaceful means and dialogue. Hulusi Akar made the comments on Tuesday following talks with his Greek counterpart Nikos Panagiotopoulos. The Greek minister arrived in Turkey as part of efforts to ease tensions between the two neighbors who have long-standing disputes, including maritime boundaries and drilling rights in the Mediterranean. Greece was among the first countries to offer its help to Turkey following a devastating earthquake in February and the outpouring of support led to a de-escalation of tensions. The two ministers toured by earthquake-affected areas by helicopter.