ANKARA - Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul has decided not to attend a meeting of foreign ministers from the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) this weekend because his Greek counterpart was unable to participate in the gathering, a Turkish diplomat said Wednesday.
Gul "will not attend the meeting because Greek Foreign Minister Petros Molyviatis will not be present on health grounds," the diplomat told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Molyviatis is currently in hospital after an April 16 operation to install a stent in a leg artery.
The two ministers were expected to hold bilateral talks had they been able to attend the April 23 gathering in Komotini in northern Greece.
The Turkish diplomat denied Greek press reports that Gul's absence from the meeting was triggered by the vandalizing of a Turkish flag in Athens, for which Ankara has demanded an apology.
The flag, inscribed with hostile slogans, was found last week by a group of Turkish officers in their room at an Athens military academy they were visiting as part of confidence-building measures between the two countries.
The incident coincided with a visit to Ankara by Molyviatis, during which the two sides announced further steps to bring their armies closer.
The Greek army has pledged to carry out an investigation into the incident.
Although they are currently enjoying unusual warmth in their ties, NATO allies Turkey and Greece remain at loggerheads over territorial rights in the Aegean Sea and frequently trade accusations of violations and harassment.
04/20/2005 15:22 GMT