The Greek flag image is ineligible for copyright and therefore in the public domain because it consists entirely of information that is common property and contains no original authorship. The Turkish flag image is by David Benbennick; the work is in the public domain in Turkey because it has been expropriated as national heritage or its copyright has expired. Both images are courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
In my lifetime there have been many, many areas of international conflict. One area may be approaching resolution: the Greek-Turkish disputes.
How encouraging would that resolution be while we witness war and violence in Palestine, Ukraine and elsewhere! If Greece and Turkey can mend their relations, anything is possible. Here you have an encounter between East and West, between Christian and Muslim. Yet, very recent talks bring possibilities for real cooperation.
If these fraught neighbors can work things out within a history of mutual distrust, the new reality can become an example of what can be achieved. Finding common ground and building on that premise is a prerequisite. And there are many areas where the two countries can work together and benefit by redirecting funding from their respective defense budgets to more civilized undertakings.
The common ground covers many areas, including energy, migration, tourism, and trade. The two countries are looking to double their mutual trade. It seems that the prompt assistance provided to Turkey by Greece following the devastating earthquake of February of this year has paved the way to a reduction of tensions.
What is it about reaching out to a suffering people, grieving human beings, friends, or foes, in their time of grief, that spans the crevasse of differences and provides a path to healing and wholeness? May we all have the courage to try.
The road ahead will bring challenges. But the willingness of these two countries to try a better way is cause for joy.
There is more on this topic: Greece and Turkey, Long at Odds, Vow to Work Together Peacefully.
I hope Greece and Turkey can make peace between their countries.