Greek and Turkish leaders seek to stress thawing relations but tensions remain under the surface

By ANDREW WILKS
Associated Press

ISTANBUL (AP) — The leaders of Greece and Turkey have met for talks that were supposed to underline their efforts to put aside decades-old disputes but also revealed deep divisions between them. Speaking at a Monday news conference in Ankara following the two-hour face-to-face summit, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan jumped on comments by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in which he described Hamas as a terrorist organization. “I do not see Hamas as a terror group, ” Erdogan said. The NATO allies have been at odds for decades over a series of issues.  They agreed last December to put their disputes aside and focus on areas where they can find consensus.