ISTANBUL, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis conveyed their mutual condolences and offered aid following the earthquake in the Aegean Sea.
The 6.6-magnitude earthquake that hit the region on Oct. 30 wreaked havoc in Turkey's western province of Izmir and the Greek island of Samos, causing casualties and injuries.
Erdogan and Mitsotakis exchanged wishes for a speedy recovery during a phone conversation on Friday, according to Turkey's presidential office.
"President Erdogan stated that Turkey stands ready to help Greece if needed," the office said in a written statement.
Following the phone conversation, Mitsotakis said in a tweet that "I just called President Erdogan to offer my condolences for the tragic loss of life from the earthquake that struck both our countries."
"Whatever our differences, these are times when our people need to stand together," he added.
"Turkey, too, is always ready to help Greece heal its wounds. The two neighbors show solidarity in difficult times which is more valuable than many things in life," Erdogan later responded to Mitsotakis on his Twitter account.
In a statement made in the earthquake zone in Izmir on Saturday, Erdogan thanked the countries that have conveyed their messages of best wishes and condolences, mentioning Mitsotakis once again.
The so-called "earthquake diplomacy" found its place in Turkey's newspaper headlines as well.
"Mutual support messages in the Ankara-Athens line," the Hurriyet daily said at the title of an article.
Murat Yetkin, a prominent Turkish journalist, wrote on his online news platform that the earthquake has helped lower the tension between Turkey and Greece.
"The messages may allow the tension in the Eastern Mediterranean to decrease," he wrote.
Similar convergence between the two countries was observed during the aftermath of the 1999 earthquake that hit both countries. Greece was among the states sending help to Turkey.
Turkey and Greece have long been at odds over the energy resources in the Eastern Mediterranean.