Erdogan: We Say Let's Forget About Past

ATHENS - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said regarding Turkish-Greek relations, ''now we say let's forget about the past and look to the future and build it on sound basis together beginning at the time we undertake our responsibilities.''
Erdogan held a joint news conference with his Greek counterpart Costas Caramanlis and answered questions.
Asked about his feelings, Erdogan said, ''I suppose that we have to follow the relationship between Mr. Caramanlis and myself not only since he became the Greek Prime Minister but also before it. Because, I was not the Turkish Prime Minister either when he was not the Greek Prime Minister. But we held a meeting as leaders of political parties and have started to negotiate such relations between our two countries. The relationship has been continuing in the same way since we become prime ministers.''
Noting that there were many similarities between the Turkish and Greek cultures, Erdogan said that ties between Turkish and Greek peoples should be strengthened by acting upon those common denominators.
''I was born and grew up in Istanbul. When I was twelve years old, I had Greek origin bosses. At dinners, we talked about these. We have a past in which we had such relations. So now we say, 'what for is this fight?' Such things should not happen. We no more need to discuss the Kardak islets as a symbolic event. We now say, 'let's forget about the past'. Let's look to the future beginning at the time we undertake our responsibilities and build the future on sound basis together. Why should our next generations suffer the same problems we faced?'' Erdogan stated.
''If we create a world of peace and build it on love, then we have to experience it in our own moral lives at first and we have to intensify both peace and love in our own moral lives. If we succeed, all these problems are solved automatically. We believe that we have already settled it mutually and we mutually display our political will,'' Erdogan added.
GREEK PRIME MINISTER SUPPORTS TURKEY'S REFORMIST EFFORTS
Greek Prime Minister Caramanlis said that he and Erdogan took up bilateral issues and regional and international developments in their meeting.
Caramanlis noted that he and Erdogan were of the same opinion that current good bilateral relations should be further improved.
Greek Prime Minister Costas Caramanlis stated that both he and Erdogan thought that two countries should make best use of the existing atmosphere.
Caramanlis pointed out that Turkish and Greek diplomats and businessmen would cooperate as of today in order to promote bilateral relations.
Stressing the support that Athens extended to Turkey's European Union (EU) membership, Caramanlis said that as the Greek Prime Minister, he voiced the full support he extended to efforts and reforms of the Turkish government.
Caramanlis said that Greek Cypriot side had joined the EU and the north of Cyprus had a special situation.
EU did not have a big problem about this issue, Caramanlis noted.
Caramanlis said that the Greek Cypriot government had launched certain political initiatives regarding Turkish Cypriots and promised economic support as the first step.
Their target after the simultaneous referenda held in Cyprus on April 24 was inclusion of a united Cyprus in the EU and enabling all people in the island to benefit from EU's advantages, Caramanlis noted.
Upon a question on Aegean issues between Turkey and Greece, Caramanlis said that two countries had started bilateral meetings on this issue.
Caramanlis stated that two countries had not yet reached any certain result in their talks and he could not say anything concrete for the near future.
Greek Prime Minister Caramanlis expressed his wish that this issue would be concluded as soon as possible.
Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan went to Greece on Thursday evening for an official visit as the guest of Caramanlis.
Erdogan attended a ''family dinner'' hosted in his and his wife Emine Erdogan's honor by Caramanlis at Caramanlis' villa.
Greek Prime Minister Costas Caramanlis welcomed Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan with an official ceremony in Athens earlier in the day.

(BRC-AÖ) 07.05.2004