Gul: Quartet Meeting To Be Held As A Part Of Cyprus Talks Process Will Take Place In Highest Level

ANKARA - Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said on Tuesday that the quartet meeting to be held between two sides in Cyprus with the participation of Turkey and Greece in case the sides could not reach a compromise in their negotiations, would take place in the highest level.
Gul, who attended a program live broadcast on private NTV channel, said that the quartet meeting would probably take place in a European country.
Foreign Minister Gul said, ''the quartet meeting may be held in the level of foreign ministers firstly and then in the level of prime ministers.''
Gul pointed out that the Greek people showed their will in the parliamentary elections which were held in Greece on Sunday.
He had met with Costas Caramanlis, the leader of the New Democracy Party who won the elections, on several occasions before the Greek parliamentary elections, Gul stated.
Gul drew attention that former enmities were replaced with mutual confidence and dialogue.
Although there were still some problems between the two countries, they had recorded progress by showing mutual good will and exerting confidence-building efforts, Gul stated.
Gul said, ''politics are not made on enmity any more.''
Politics based on good will would be for the benefit of both Turkey and Greece, Gul stressed.
Gul said that he did not believe that the new Greek government would join the quartet meeting unpreparedly and it was impossible for them to feel themselves estranged in national issues.
Turkey was in continuous contact with the United States about Cyprus issue, Gul noted.
Asked if Washington was approaching Turkish views positively, Gul said, ''in fact, we are laying down sensible things.''
Upon a question on European Union (EU) process, Gul said that all EU representatives he met thought that entry talks with Turkey would be opened.
Gul stated that Turkey-EU relations as well as many issues like Iraq, Caucasus and Greater Middle East Initiative were taken up in Turkey-EU Troika meeting held in Ankara on Monday and defined the meeting as fruitful.

(BRC-AÖ) 09.03.2004