Turkish-Greek cooperation gains new dimension with a mutual battle against mosquitoes, known to be indirectly responsible for deaths through the transmission of malaria

FULYA ÖZERKAN

Ankara - Turkish Daily News

  Turkey and Greece agreed to mutually fight against mosquitoes after a meeting last week attended by a group of officials from both sides in Edirne, a province in Western Thrace.  

  Turkish-Greek cooperation against mosquitoes should be considered within the scope of the “cross-border network” between the related governor's offices from Turkey, Greece and Bulgaria, an official from the local governor's office told the Turkish Daily News but did not elaborate on what methods would be used to fight the mosquitoes.

  The official said only the Governor's Office of Edirne, having borders with both Greece and Bulgaria, represented Turkey in the cooperation network urging coordination on the regional basis not only in the face of fatal diseases or natural catastrophes but in the sphere of tourism and culture as well.

  Thus, the cooperation between Turkey and Greece has gained a new dimension with a mutual battle against mosquitoes, which are known to be indirectly responsible for deaths through the transmission of malaria. 

  The neighboring countries have been enjoying friendly relations since the devastating 1999 Marmara earthquake, which claimed the lives of over 17,000 people. Greece was one of the leading countries which rushed to help the quake-victims in Turkey by sending the first international rescue teams. The rapprochement between both countries gained momentum when Greece voiced its support for Turkey's aspirations to join the European Union.