Hoteliers in Samos, Lesvos, Chios, Kos and Leros, the islands most affected by the refugee crisis last year, are slashing prices for rooms and tourist packages by up to 50 percent for Greek tourists who will visit from August 20 until the end of October, in a bid to reverse a large drop in tourism arrivals on these islands.

The 2,000-year-old Tower of the Winds, a landmark standing inside the Roman agora in the old Athens neigbourhood of Plaka, is now open for visitors after undergoing major restoration, the Culture ministry said in a press release.

Future bilateral meetings and cooperation on the refugee issue, transport and energy were discussed in a phone call between Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and his Turkish counterpart, Binali Yildirim, initiated by the latter.