The Greek Turkish Forum (GTF) is a one-and-a-half-track diplomacy initiative, founded in late 1997 and held its first meeting in May 1998, with the aim to promote dialogue and communication between Greece and Turkey. It was expanded in 2006 with the addition of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot chapters. The Forum brings together prominent Greeks and Turks –leading businessmen, respected senior academics and journalists, distinguished politicians and former diplomats– acting as private individuals concerned to improve and strengthen the Greek-Turkish bilateral relations and understanding between two people living side by side across the Aegean Sea. Their work is private in strategy but public in purpose.