GREECE: GREECE REITERATES ITS SUPPORT FOR TURKISH MEMBERSHIP OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Record ID: 590773

  • Title: GREECE: GREECE REITERATES ITS SUPPORT FOR TURKISH MEMBERSHIP OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
  • Date: 6th October 2004
  • Summary: (W5) ATHENS, GREECE)(OCTOBER 06, 2004)(REUTERS) 1. SLV GREEK DEPUTY GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN EVANGELOS ANTONAROS ENTERING HIS OFFICE 0.10 2. SCU EVANGELOS SEATED AT DESK 0.19 3. SCU (SOUNDBITE)(ENGLISH) EVANGELOS ANTONAROS, GREEK DEPUTY GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAYING: "Greece supports the European perspective of Turkey, but its up to Turkey to decide how quickly it want to approach Europe. Turkey must continue and intensify its efforts to approach Europe. Stability, prosperity and Security in the region will benefit from Turkey in Europe. 0.43 (W5) ATHENS,GREECE (MAY 07, 2004)(REUTERS) 4. VARIOUS TURKISH PRIME MINISTER TAYYIP ERDOGAN AND DELEGATION AND GREEK PRIME MINISTER COSTAS KARAMANLIS AND DELEGATION IN ATHENS 1.01 (W5) ATHENS,GREECE (OCTOBER 06, 2004)(REUTERS) 5. SCU (SOUNDBITE)(English) ANTONAROS SAYING: "At the same time Turkish presence in Europe will help Greek Turkish relations and contribute to the search for a just, viable and functional solution to the Cyprus problem." 1.15 (W5) ATHENS, GREECE (MAY 07, 2004)(REUTERS) 6. MV ERDOGAN AND KARAMANLIS EXCHANGING GIFTS DURING ERDOGANS STATE VISIT IN ATHENS 1.35 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 21st October 2004 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ATHENS, GREECE
  • Country: Greece
  • Reuters ID: LVA7PELS337RJ1FZXCYRS3ESL7QE
  • Story Text: Greece reiterated its support for Turkey's entry
    into the EU after the European Commission recommended
    starting membership talks with Ankara.



    Greece reiterated its support for Turkey's accession
    into the EU after the European Commission recommended
    opening membership negotiations with Ankara but said it
    had to intensify efforts to become a part of the European
    family.

    The decision ends 40 years of on-off talks and was
    welcomed by Evangelos Antonaros, a Greek deputy government
    spokesman.

    "Greece supports the European perspective of Turkey,
    but its up to Turkey to decide how quickly it wants to
    approach Europe. Turkey must continue and intensify its
    efforts to approach Europe."
    "But the EU executives recommendation carried several
    conditions, including the possibility of suspending talks
    if Ankara backtracks on democracy and human rights,"
    Antonaros said.

    In the last few years Greece and Turkey have
    considerably thawed hostilities between the two long time
    foes who almost went to war in 1996 over a territorial
    dispute.

    Greece has been one of the main supporters of Turkey's
    bid to join the European family, hoping its accession to
    the European union would securely anchor Ankara into the
    democratic fold of Europe.

    Stability, prosperity and Security in the region will
    benefit from Turkey in Europe. said Antonaros, adding, At
    the same time a Turkish presence in Europe will help Greek
    Turkish relations and contribute to the search for a just,
    viable and functional solution to the Cyprus problem.

    Various measures over the years, including commitments to
    cuts in defence spending, economic, tourism, transport and
    trade agreements have improved relations between the
    two NATO allies although thorny issues such as territorial
    disputes in the Aegean and Cyprus are still unresolved. Turkish
    Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan visited Athens in
    May in a landmark visit that symbolized the changed
    climate. During his visit Erdogan said it was time to leave
    old tensions in the past. In the new improved environment
    low level talks have taken place on the Aegean territorial
    dispute between the two countries, according to diplomats,
    although in secret and at a slow pace.

    Turkey still does not recognize the internationally
    recognized government of Cyprus but was hailed by the
    European Union for its efforts in supporting a referendum
    to unite the island under a UN brokered plan in April.

    Greek Cypriots rejected the referendum.

    Greece had said it would not let the Cyprus issue
    damage bilateral ties with Turkey, but it has been a
    sticking point in relations for decades between the two
    countries.

    The internationally recognised Greek Cypriot government
    entered the EU on May 1, leaving the Turkish Cypriots in
    the north of the island, whose statelet is recognised only
    by Ankara, outside.

    This week Ankara said it would open its markets to
    trade goods from Cyprus even though it does not recognize
    the official government, fearing Cyprus may veto its
    accession to the European Union.

    The start of EU membership talks was conditional on
    Turkey bringing into force outstanding legal reforms,
    notably of the penal code and the code of criminal
    procedure, which are underway.

    The talks would be an open-ended process whose outcome
    cannot be guaranteed beforehand, the Commission said. It
    proposed no start date, leaving final decisions on whether
    and when to EU leaders at a Dec. 17 summit.


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