"Turkish leader begins goodwill visit to Greece
By Megan K. Stack, Los Angeles Times
Updated: 9:39 PM 5/14/2010
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Reporting from Athens--
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan swept into Greece on Friday with 10 Cabinet ministers and 80 businesspeople in tow, making a dramatic show of goodwill toward a historic rival.
Despite strong disagreements that continue to fester over Cyprus and the Aegean Sea, the longtime foes are hoping to hammer out mutual cuts in defense spending.
The savings would be particularly prized by Greece, where a severe financial crisis has provoked angry street demonstrations and forced painful cuts to retirement and other social benefits.
'Both countries have huge defense expenses, and they will achieve a lot of savings this way,' Erdogan told Greek state television. 'I believe this visit will be the start of putting Greek-Turkish relations on a better foundation."
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