|
Friday, August 19 2005 @ 08:44 AM Central Daylight Time
|
 While the date Turkey will start negotiations with EU for a probable membership is approaching, Greek Prime Minister, Kostas Karamanlis, who handled the Cyprus strategy with the Greek Cypriot leader, Tasos Papadopulos, did not give Turkey a "blank cheque" for October 3.
Karamanlis, in the statement he made after the summit, stated "Athens keeps its positive strategical attitude about Turkey's perspective of EU" but "new developments will also be considered." Both leaders said they determined a common attitude about Turkey' starting EU membership negotiations but they did not want to announce their attitudes until future talks with EU authorities. "We determined a common perspective . We took a decision about the next step to make," said Karamanlis. The Greek-Cypriot couple will declare their common attitude in the Permanent Representatives Council meeting planned in Brussels on August 25.
Papadopulos, who required that Ankara recognize the Greek Cypriot government in his former statements, said that in the summit they determined tactics and strategy about how to solve the Cyprus issue in the frame of the EU. He said they would continue efforts to obtain the best results possible. Papadopulos also came together with Greek President Karolos Papulyas in Athens. Turkey's perspective of EU and developments about Cyprus were on the agenda of the meeting, as well. The newspaper, Haravgi, published that the Cypriot and Greek governments feel "everything is possible" inTurkey's membership into the EU. |
|
