Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic Genocide News

Turkish minister says Greek-Turkish "differences" could be solved within a few months
by ANA - E. Aretaios
Posted: Friday, October 13, 2000 02:03 am CST

ISTANBUL, 12/10/2000

The problems between Greece and Turkey could be solved through dialogue within a few months, Turkish Minister of State responsible for the Cyprus issue, Sucru Sina Gurel, said in a speech at the Aegean University in Izmir on Wednesday.

"There exists a very positive climate in Greek-Turkish relations, following (last year's) the earthquakes in the two countries," said Gurel, adding that "this climate must not be restricted to the signing of agreements on issues of secondary importance."

Greece and Turkey signed over the past months nine agreements on low-key issues.

The Turkish minister said that "the problems between Greece and Turkey can be solved in four or five months or even in four days, provided the two sides decide to make the Aegean a sea which both countries can use," he said.

Greece rejects a dialogue on so-called problems in the Aegean, recognizing only one difference, that of the delineation of the Aegean continental shelf for which it proposes referral to the International Court at The Hague.

Referring to the European-Turkey partnership document, Gurel supported that the Turkish government "will not accept a settlement of the problems in the Aegean and the solution of the Cyprus problem as preliminary terms for Turkey's full accession into the EU".

The Turkish minister finally reiterated Ankara's steadfast views concerning two separate and equal states in Cyprus and claimed that "the Cyprus issue will be settled when the interested parties accept this reality."

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