Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu arrived in Greece on Sunday as the two NATO member states sought to ease strained relations over a series of disputes, including over energy exploration rights in the eastern Mediterranean.
Mr Cavusoglu’s first stop was the northeastern region of Thrace, near the Turkish border, where he would meet with members of the Muslim community.
Greece recognizes the community as a religious minority but Turkey refers to it as an ethnic Turkish minority.
This private part of the trip comes a day before Mr Cavusoglu’s official visit to Athens where he is scheduled to meet with Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias.
Greece and Turkey have been at loggerheads for decades on a number of issues, including territorial rights in the Aegean, maritime and air borders, and minority rights.
Following escalating tensions last year, the two countries have sought to gradually improve ties, and Mr Dendias visited Turkey in mid-April for talks with Turkish counterpart.
But a joint press conference after that meeting turned into a rare public exchange of accusations with retorts and expressions of dissatisfaction.