The Greek foreign minister travels to Turkey’s earthquake-stricken area.

Despite a longtime rivalry between the two NATO nations, Greece’s foreign minister travelled in Turkey on Sunday to express solidarity after the country was rocked by a terrible earthquake last Monday, according to the ministry.

According to video from state-run ERT TV, Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias was greeted with a passionate hug by his Turkish colleague Mevlut Cavusoglu before they boarded helicopters to quake-hit areas.

His travel to Turkey is the first by a European minister since the earthquake.

The two ministers have arrived in Antakya, where Greek rescuers are assisting in search and rescue efforts.

According to the ministry, he will also pay visits to members of the Greek humanitarian mission in the nation.

Despite a centuries-long rivalry with Turkey, Greece was among the first European nations to deploy rescue personnel and humanitarian relief on Monday, only hours after the accident.

Territorial and energy concerns, as well as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent bombastic threats of invasion, have escalated the regional rivalry.

However, the two neighbours, which are located on seismic fault lines, have a long history of assisting one another in natural catastrophes.

The 7.8-magnitude earthquake on Monday killed over 28,000 people, wounded thousands more, and displaced millions.

Despite frigid weather that has exacerbated the anguish of millions now in dire need of assistance, tens of thousands of rescue personnel are combing destroyed neighbourhoods.

So far, the Greek government has delivered 80 tonnes of medical and first-aid supplies.

Dendias will also address how Greece might provide more support to Turkey, according to the ministry.