Davutoglu calls for new paradigm in Turkish-Greek ties

Turkey and Greece need to develop a new paradigm to build their relations on, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said yesterday, complaining that the old East-West, Islam-Christianity dichotomy complicates efforts to resolve disputes between the two neighbors. "Tensions emerged between our countries as a result of the East-West confrontation," Davutoglu told reporters accompanying him on a visit to Greece. "This stems from a misinterpretation of history. Such misperceptions should be dispelled." Davutoglu visited cities in Western Thrace, home to Greece's Turkish minority, after talks with Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou and his Greek counterpart Dimitris Droutsas in Athens on Tuesday. At a joint press conference, both Davutoglu and Droutsas touted Turkish-Greek ties and underlined their commitment to improve them further, sidestepping issues of disputes in the Aegean.