Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has arrived in Turkey evening to take part in the NATO Summit, attending a dinner hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the alliance's 32 leaders ahead of Tuesday's formal proceedings.
Mr. Mitsotakis landed in Ankara, accompanied by his wife, Mareva Mitsotaki, and was greeted with a formal welcome ceremony. The couple then proceeded to the White Palace, where they were received by Mr. Erdogan and his wife, Emine Erdogan.
Traveling with the prime minister were his diplomatic adviser, Katerina Nasika; his press office director, Giorgos Efthymiou; communications director Kyra Kapi; and Aristotelia Peloni, head of the prime minister's office for international strategic planning and communications. Greece's ambassador to Paris, Milton Nikolaidis, also joined the delegation, serving as the prime minister's interpreter for the trip.
Upon arrival, Mr. Mitsotakis was welcomed at the airport by Turkish officials as well as Greece's ambassador to Ankara, Theodoros Bizakis.
The NATO Summit itself is set to take place Tuesday. Government sources said Greece arrives at the gathering "with the confidence of a strong and reliable ally" that not only consistently meets its commitments but remains among the alliance members already implementing the targets agreed at the previous NATO summit in The Hague.
The visit comes amid heightened attention to Greek-Turkish relations within the alliance, following recent remarks by regional leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on Ankara's standing among NATO allies.