Simitis wants new era in Greek-Turkish ties

GREEK Prime Minister Costas Simitis called yesterday for a new era in relations between Athens and Ankara after Turkey was granted European Union candidate status at last weekend’s Helsinki’s Summit.

“For the first time after many years I can see the prospect of true co- operation with Turkey,” Simitis told a news conference of foreign correspondents in Athens, Reuters news agency reported.

“There will be difficulties encountered on the way and there will be friction. But I believe that the theory that here we have two countries and two peoples who constantly battle each other is a theory of the past,” he said.

Greece joined its fellow EU members to give the green light at the Helsinki summit for Turkey to become a candidate state.

In return, Ankara agreed to bring any territorial disputes with Greece to the International Court of Justice at The Hague and not block EU candidacy for Cyprus despite the island’s current division.

“These developments will allow us to bring peace, stability, co-operation and friendship to this part of the world,” Simitis said.

“When a country becomes part of the EU then it cannot use violence or the threat of violence (against member states)… I firmly believe that Turkey wants to follow the road of the EU,” he added.

Greece and Turkey have long been at odds over territorial differences in the Aegean Sea and over Cyprus, .

Prior to the Helsinki summit, Ankara wanted direct talks with Athens on territorial disputes and had ruled out any accession by Cyprus to the EU as long as the island remained divided.

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