TURKEY: Greek Prime minister Karamanlis presses Turkey on Cyprus, Patriarchate and Orthodox schooL

Record ID: 644802

  • Title: TURKEY: Greek Prime minister Karamanlis presses Turkey on Cyprus, Patriarchate and Orthodox schooL
  • Date: 24th January 2008
  • Summary: (W1) ANKARA, TURKEY (JANUARY 23, 2008) (REUTERS) KARAMANLIS AND ERDOGAN ENTERING PRESS CONFERENCE HALL JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) GREEK PRIME MINISTER COSTAS KARAMANLIS SAYING: "The EU has to accept Turkey as long as Turkey meets the criteria of the European Union and caries out all the responsibilities towards the EU." (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) GREEK PRIME MINISTER COSTAS KARAMANLIS SAYING: "The subjects of the Patriarchate and reopening of the Greek Orthodox theological seminary are among subjects needing to be genuinely assessed on Turkey's accession to EU." JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) GREEK PRIME MINISTER COSTAS KARAMANLIS SAYING: "The fact that Turkey has the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate is a crucial criterion (break for translation) I can say that this is a passport to Europe." JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) TURKISH PRIME MINISTER RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN SAYING: "The process after the elections is very important. We expect an effort from Mr Karamanlis to restart the negotiations." JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) GREEK PRIME MINISTER COSTAS KARAMANLIS SAYING: "Solving the Cyprus problem is an important criterion for Turkey's accession to EU (break for translation) and it is a necessity for Turkey to improve its relation with Cyprus." JOURNALISTS KARAMANLIS AND ERDOGAN SHAKING HANDS AND LEAVING PRESS HALL
  • Embargoed: 8th February 2008 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Turkey
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA5BXC8KUDWA6FAH6J5LZWDF1VO
  • Story Text: Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis has urged Turkey to improve relations with Cyprus and to reopen a Greek Orthodox theological seminary near Istanbul.
    Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis urged Turkey on Wednesday (January 23) to reopen a Greek Orthodox theological seminary near Istanbul, saying it was one of Ankara's obligations under its European Union accession process.
    Karamanlis, on the first official visit by a Greek leader to Turkey in nearly half a century, also said Ankara must improve relations with the internationally recognized Greek Cypriot government in Cyprus in order to join the EU.

    "The subjects of the Patriarchate (Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Istanbul) and the reopening of the Greek Orthodox theological seminary (Halki seminary) are among subjects needing to be genuinely assessed on Turkey's accession to EU," Karamanlis told a joint news conference with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan.
    Patriarch Bartholomew, spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians, is based in Istanbul. An ethnic Greek but Turkish citizen, he says the dwindling Orthodox community could soon die out in Turkey if the seminary is not re-opened.
    Erdogan said his government was working on a solution for reopening the seminary, located on an island in the Sea of Marmara, but he also stressed Greece's own obligations to protect its Turkish-speaking Muslim minority in northern Greece.
    Karamanlis and Erdogan both reaffirmed their support for a peace settlement on the ethnically divided island of Cyprus, which is the major obstacle in Turkey's path to the EU.
    Ankara backs breakaway Turkish Cypriots in the north of Cyprus, while the rest of the world -- including the EU -- recognizes the Greek Cypriot government in Nicosia as the sole legitimate authority on the island.

    "It is obvious that Turkey needs to improve its relations with Cyprus for its EU bid," said Karamanlis, who spoke through a Turkish interpreter.
    Erdogan called for a redoubling of diplomatic efforts to reunite the island after Greek Cypriot elections due next month.
    Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos, who led his community into rejecting a U.N. reunification plan in a 2004 referendum, is seeking re-election.

    "The process after the (Greek Cypriot) elections is very important. We expect an effort from Mr Karamanlis to restart the negotiations," Erdogan said.
    Both leaders pledged to continue building closer trade, energy and tourism ties between Turkey and Greece, NATO allies but also ancient rivals which came to the brink of war over an uninhabited Aegean island in 1996.
    Karamanlis's visit to Turkey crowns a decade of steady improvement in relations as the two set aside old disputes over the Aegean and Cyprus and focus on common economic interests.
    Bilateral trade now stands at $2.8 billion, up from just $200 million in 1995, Greek figures show.
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