ISTANBUL (A.A) - 31.05.2002 - State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz, the leader of the Motherland Party (ANAP), said on Friday, ''both Turkey and Greece should take model the understanding creating the European Union (EU) which has taken its current shape as a result of the Paris, Rome and Maastricht agreements. We should turn our faces towards the future not the past. We should resolve our problems as soon as possible.''
Speaking at the annual meeting of Turkey-Greece Business Council, Yilmaz said, ''1999's Helsinki Summit Meeting was a turning point in relations between Turkey and Greece. Unfortunately, friendly relations which started between Turkey and Greece in 1980s during the term in office of Turgut Ozal, could not be protected in a stable way. We observed that a more sound and since ground has been created in relations between our neighboring countries following the Helsinki Summit Meeting.''
''Only three economic agreements were signed between Turkey and Greece till 1970. Any agreement was not signed between 1970 and 2000. We have signed nine agreements since 2000. Works carried out to hold a joint sports organization in 2008 have made a valuable contribution to efforts to consolidate friendship between our countries,'' he said.
Yilmaz pointed out that the natural gas agreement signed in the previous weeks was an important development.
''When Turkish and Greek businessmen join their efforts and possibilities, they will be advantageous in opening to Middle Eastern, Asia and East European markets. It is a reality that Turkish and Greek businessmen behave more willingly and rapidly each day to search cooperation opportunities and implement projects. However, I find the trade volume between Turkey and Greece around 800-900 million U.S. dollars as insufficient,'' Yilmaz said.
Yilmaz noted, ''I would once more state that the government supports the efforts to further improve relations and increase trade volume. Rapprochement of Turkey and Greece is very suitable for EU philosophy, which Greece is a member and we are a candidate.''
EU fact was shaped up by taking action from the approach to have a common cooperation in issues of division which pushed Europe into a disaster, Yilmaz stated.
Yilmaz pointed out that the coal and steel agreement, the first document of the EU, was a product of this understanding.
''We can settle our relations on a similar framework by taking action from the idea that we should make use of conflicted fields in the Aegean economically. Both Turkey and Greece should take model the understanding creating the European Union (EU) which has taken its current shape as a result of the Paris, Rome and Maastricht agreements. We should turn our face towards the future, not the past. We should resolve our problems as soon as possible,'' Yilmaz said.
Yilmaz continued, ''news about cooperation should take place in Turkish and Greek press from now on rather than news about tension between the two countries. We should review all elements which cause an obstacle before development of friendship between the two communities by a friendly and constructive understanding, starting from school books.''
''We should be willing to use issues like Cyprus and Aegean which cause disagreement between us to become a regional force, not to obstruct each other. We should know that when we achieve this, the lives of Turks who have become Greek citizens living in Western Thrace and Greek people who have become Turkish citizens living in our country will become better. Solution of problems about which both of the communities complain particularly on foundations and religious freedom, will contribute to this development,'' Yilmaz added.