If Mitsotakis is returned as Greek prime minister, he wants to have better relations with Turkey.

The prime minister of Greece promises to offer “a hand of friendship” to the winner of impending elections in Turkey, the nation’s neighbour and longtime foe in the area, but he also expresses the hope that the next administration would “reconsider its approach towards the West.”

In a little more than a week, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who will also be voting, declared his willingness to engage with whoever wins Sunday’s elections in Turkey.

He said in a lengthy interview with The Associated Press on Thursday night while campaigning in central Greece, “But I’m not naive. “I am aware that nations’ foreign policies are constant from day to day.”

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s increasingly autocratic leader who has served as both prime minister and president since 2003, confronts his most difficult election to date. The secular, center-left Kemal Kilicdaroglu has gained some ground on Erdogan amid a deteriorating economy.

Relations between Turkey and numerous European nations have been strained, albeit not to the same extent as those with Greece, a fellow NATO member. Sweden’s application to join NATO is being blocked by Turkey, which is pressuring Sweden to take action against Kurdish militants and other groups it views as terrorist threats.