Greeks and Turks look to health
Yet another step was taken yesterday toward strengthening Greek-Turkish ties after the health ministers of the two countries signed an agreement in Athens to cooperate more closely in a number of medical areas, including organ transplants and the handling of major disasters. Some three months after Greece agreed to help train Turkish judges in European law as part of Ankara’s EU accession process, health ministers Nikitas Kaklamanis and Recep Akdag added another string to the bow of cooperation between the two countries. Kaklamanis highlighted the importance of the agreement in areas such as public health and epidemiology as well as the delivery of specialized medical services during crises, which include natural disasters and chemical or biological attacks. The two ministers signed up to an exchange of information between medical staff in the two neighboring countries but also left the option open for doctors to help train each other in a number of fields. Kaklamanis also accepted an offer to reciprocate Akdag’s visit, although an official date was not set.
