The Greek Foreign Minister, Mr George Papandreou, arrived in Ankara yesterday for a three-day official visit in a spectacular rapprochement between Greece and Turkey, which have been divided for decades by feuding.
The neighbours, who four years ago were on the verge of war, will sign a series of agreements on tourism, investment, security and the environment, which were prepared during a tentative dialogue begun in June last year.
Mr Papandreou, the first Greek foreign minister to visit the Turkish capital in 38 years, was met at Esenboga airport by the Turkish Foreign Minister, Mr Ismail Cem.
In brief statements, the two ministers expressed optimism that the "historic" visit would contribute to the rapprochement between their countries.
"We should move forward towards a common future in line with our people's desire to live in peace," Mr Papandreou said. Mr Cem said the talks in Ankara would serve to improve further the already positive climate between the two countries.
The Greek Foreign Minister is due to hold talks with Mr Cem, President Suleyman Demirel, the Turkish Prime Minister, Mr Bulent Ecevit, and the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Yildirim Akbulut, today.
Mr Papandreou's visit and its prospects represent a huge turnaround from this time four years ago, when the two countries were brought to the brink of war over Imia, a tiny disputed island in the Aegean Sea, until President Clinton intervened.
Mr Cem said earlier this week that that he and Mr Papandreou would discuss the prospects of expanding bilateral dialogue from secondary topics to security and EU issues.
Although both are NATO members, the two countries have been feuding bitterly for many decades.
A key conflict concerned the island of Cyprus, whose northern half was occupied by Turkish forces in 1974 and which has been divided ever since.
Turkey has called for settling the issues through dialogue, while Greece has called for Ankara's "unilateral claims" to be settled by an international court in The Hague.
Long-standing tensions relaxed last autumn when the two helped each other after earthquakes rocked Turkey and Greece less than a month apart in August and September.
Relations were improved further in December, when Greece ended its veto on Turkey acquiring the status of an applicant for EU membership.
Mr Cem told the Greek newspaper To Vima earlier this week: "Turkish-Greek relations have reached a level of maturity that will enable them to confront core issues."
He called for an end to disputes with Greece, particularly over sovereignty issues in the Aegean Sea, saying the past should no longer stand in the way of normal relations.
He said his talks with Mr Papandreou would seek ways "to further the positive spirit of co-operation that already exists between the two countries".
The Greek Foreign Minister travels to Istanbul tomorrow, when he will meet the leader of the Orthodox Church, Patriarch Bartholomeos I.
He is due to leave Turkey after he and Mr Cem attend a meeting of a Turkish-Greek business committee.
Mr Cem is expected to pay a return visit to Athens at the beginning of next month.
In Athens yesterday, the European Affairs Minister, Mr Christos Rokofyllos, said Greece wanted the EU to play a more active part in efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem.