Tension at meeting of Turkish and Greek FMs

A meeting that was aimed improving fraught relations between NATO allies Greece and Turkey descended into an exchange of accusations between the two countries' foreign ministers on Thursday.

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias traveled to Ankara to discuss ties with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu, following a slight easing of tensions.

Appearing before the cameras to deliver their statements, the two men initially spoke about keeping the channels of dialogue open and increasing economic cooperation.

But their meeting soon turned sour after Dendias accused Turkey of violating Greece's sovereign rights in the eastern Mediterranean and warned that Ankara would face European Union sanctions if the violations continued.

Cavusoglu retorted by calling Dendias's accusations "unacceptable", and the two ministers then proceeded to list their grievances.

The visit was the first between the two nations following a tumultuous year.

Dendias' visit was also meant to pave the way for a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

In an indication of the meeting's importance, Dendias met with Erdogan as well as Cavusoglu.

His visit follows talks between Turkish and Greek diplomats who have met in Istanbul and Athens, resuming a series of meetings designed to build trust between the historic regional rivals.

The two NATO allies have been at odds over decades-old issues including the extent of air and maritime boundaries in the Aegean Sea and the future of ethnically split Cyprus. They have come to the brink of war three times since the 1970s.