Greece supports Turkey for EU membership

ANKARA (Xinhua) -- Visiting Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyanni said on Saturday that the day Turkey became an European Union (EU) member would be a great occasion for happiness for Greece.

Bakoyanni is made the remarks at a joint news conference with her Turkish counterpart Ali Babacan in the Turkish capital of Ankara after their official meeting.

""I assured Mr. Babacan that Greece supports and would continue to support Turkey's perspective regarding Europe,"" said she, adding that Turkey becoming an EU member would mean that the country has fulfilled EU criteria, moreover, such a development would bring stability and development to the whole region.

Babacan, for his part, said that both Turkey and Greece had a positive approach towards each other currently, adding, ""while our political, economic and cultural relations improve rapidly, we talk about our problems openly and we try to find solutions.""

""Greece supports our EU adhesion process strongly. This is really an important issue in order for the peace and stability improve in our region,"" he added.

Last month, EU foreign ministers in Brussels outlined new priorities for Turkey to gain its accession to the 27-member regional bloc.

Relations have thawed considerably over the past decade between Greece and Turkey, the two neighbors whose ties had been overshadowed by issues over Cyprus and territorial rights in the Aegean Sea.

Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders are expected to meet in the second half of March to discuss how to launch stalled reunification talks, the top UN envoy on Cyprus said last week.

""I will start preparations for that meeting, probably towards the end of the second half of this month,"" UN resident representative Michael Moller told reporters after a meeting with Greek Cypriot president Demetris Christofias.

Cyprus has been divided into a breakaway Turkish Cypriot north and a Greek Cypriot south since 1974.

Christofias' election, after the ouster of Tassos Papadopoulos in a surprise first-round election, has sparked hope for eventual healing of the division.

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