ANKARA - Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou told U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Marc Grossman that ''we could not guess before that the existing government could take such brave steps regarding Copenhagen criteria and Cyprus.''
Papandreou who came to Turkey to hold contacts had firstly a telephone conversation with British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Jack Straw. The two ministers reached a consensus of opinion regarding the need of EU to give a negotiation date or a date for date to Turkey in Copenhagen summit.
The issue of EU's giving a date to Turkey in Copenhagen summit was also taken up in Papandreou-Grossman telephone talk. Grossman told Papandreou that the new Turkish government was convincing and sincere about Cyprus and Copenhagen criteria.
Grossman defended the view that a negotiation date has to be given to Turkey in Copenhagen summit, adding that the U.S. didn't want a war in Iraq, but it was preparing itself against all sorts of possibilities.
Greek Foreign Minister Papandreou said in the conversation that Greece also wants EU to give a negotiation date or at least a date for date to Turkey. Papandreou said that the Copenhagen summit is drawing near, adding that EU countries, including France and Germany recently seem to favour EU's giving a date for date to Turkey.
Papandreou said that ''for the first time, the Turkish government puts such pressure for the solution of Cyprus issue.''
Meanwhile, when journalists asked him in Hilton what would Greece do if certain EU countries object to the membership of Greek Cypriot side to the EU in Copenhagen summit if no solution in Cyprus is found, Papandreou said that ''even if there are persons who say that, the remaining EU countries will criticize such an approach because everybody has a commitment in this issue.''
Upon another question, Papandreou said that the new government in Turkey displayed a different and flexible attitude when compared to the previous governments.
When asked why the U.S. insisted on the EU membership of Turkey, Papandreou said that ''because of the conjuncture in the region and Iraqi issue, the U.S.'s wish for Turkey not to cut off ties with the west, the role of AK Party leader Erdogan as being a model to Islamic world.''
Papandreou said upon another question that even if a date is not given to Turkey in Copenhagen, the dynamism in Cyprus issue should not be lost.