ISTANBUL (CIHAN) - Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis said on Monday that Turkey's increasing closeness to the Europe serves interests in both Turkey and the European Union.
Speaking at the NATO Youth Summit in Istanbul, Karamanlis said that Turkey's EU membership would bring about great benefits to Turkey, the EU and Turkey's neighbors.
The Greek Prime Minister, a supporter of Turkey's EU membership bid, said that Turkey should adopt the EU mentality and norms.
Turkey is hoping to open gain entry talks with the European Union (EU) by the end of 2004, and has adopted a series of EU harmonization packages, including political and economic criteria, to meet membership requirements. The Turkish Parliament has adopted seven EU harmonization packages in the last two years and abolished capital punishment in order to comply with EU standards.
The EU leaders are due to meet in December to decide whether Turkey, a candidate country since 1999, has made enough progress on human rights and political freedoms for the initiation of the long-delayed accession talks with the EU.
Regarding the Cyprus issue, Karamanlis said that everybody should respect the decision of the Cypriots as they voted in the April 24 referendum.