ATHENS - Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel said on Saturday that the Greek Cypriot side's joining the EU will cause big problems in the region.
Speaking to Greek Ta Nea newspaper published in Athens, Gurel referred to Turkish-Greek relations, Cyprus problem and developments about Iraq.
When asked if the tension caused by possible EU membership of the Greek Cypriot side could reach the point of military clash, Gurel said ''I hope not, when we talk about tension in international arena, we don't always talk about armed conflict. Yet the membership of the Greek Cypriot side to the EU will definitely cause big problems in the region. I hope we won't reach such a stage. Everybody has to understand the fact that EU's taking such a step will disturb all the balances in the region and cause a new negative atmosphere.''
Gurel said that such a development will also negatively affect Turkish-Greek relations.
Assessing the possibility of U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan's presenting his own solution plan to the sides in Cyprus, Gurel said that ''I suppose, as U.N. Secretary General is an experienced diplomat, he will not forget that the process in Cyprus started as a direct talk between the two sides and it should continue as direct negotiations between the concerned sides. The role of the U.N. Secretary General is to carry out his good will mission. Turkey will always support this role of him. On the other hand, I believe that Annan is an experienced diplomat and he knows the fact that he should not go beyond the limits of his role.''
When asked if EU would give the date of starting membership negotiations with Turkey in its Copenhagen Summit, Gurel said that he told his European colleagues both in Europe and in New York recently that the EU has to respond to the steps taken in the positive direction in Turkey and the negotiations have to start in 2003 at the latest.
''Certainly I don't know their intention. They said that they would assess the new situation in a positive way, but I don't know if their approach to the Turkish side will be satisfying or not,'' Gurel said.
Upon a question asking if a change of attitude in Cyprus issue will help in EU's taking the decision of giving a negotiation date to Turkey, Gurel said that ''I am pleased to see that the attitude of Europeans about this issue has started to change recently. At least they don't suggest of a relation between the efforts to find a solution to Cyprus issue and Turkey's EU membership.'' Gurel said that Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou is positive about EU's giving a date to Turkey, hoping his attitude to continue.
''I hope there won't be another chaos in Greece suggesting any relation between Cyprus issue and Turkey's EU membership,'' Gurel said.
When asked about the attitude of the U.S. in this issue, Gurel said that not only U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powel, but other officials of the U.S. administration clearly told that Turkey did its best on the path to the EU and that a date has to be given to Turkey.
Touching on the Turkish-Greek dialogue, Gurel said that the period of approachment between the two countries was very beneficial with respect to the progress toward starting to a real dialouge.
When asked whether or not Turkey would accept the authority of International Court over the conflicts between the two countries, Gurel said, ''we have no intention of excluding any methods to achieve reconciliation. We, as the allies of the same region, should hold contacts with each other for our problems, concerns and plans for the future. That's why I don't exclude the other methods, but the most important way of coping with our problems should be dialogue.''
Stating that his first contacts with Papandreou in New York were very positive, Gurel said, ''I believe that Papandreou had the same impression with me and we will establish a good relation on personal and institutional level.''
Responding to a question on a possible U.S. operation against Iraq and whether or not the United States gave the guarantee not to allow a Kurdish state to be established in Northern Iraq, Gurel said that the U.S. government announced that it always shared Turkey's concerns on Iraq's territorial integrity.
Assessing Iraq's permitting U.N. inspectors to return to the country, Gurel said, ''President Bush's speech gave some chances to taking political initiatives. We are encouraging Iraq to obey unconditionally the resolutions of the Security Council in this period. We hope that this development will contribute to finding a political solution.''