Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis has said her country is troubled by an increase in tension with Turkey over the Aegean Sea.
The two NATO allies have been at odds for years over airspace boundaries and flight procedures over the Aegean Sea, which divides them, and mock dogfights between fighter jets from each side are common.
Bakoyannis said Wednesday that there has been a recent increase in violations by Turkey, "which of course troubles us and we are analyzing it." The minister said the reasons behind the tension were unclear.
"What this is due to and why we are seeing these displays recently of increased tension, I cannot say. There are many interpretations," Bakoyannis told The Associated Press in an interview. "But I am interested in the result, and the result is that there must be the realization that this is not behavior that is based on European law."
The minister said Athens had hoped for an improvement in Greek-Turkish ties in 2008, when Kostas Karamanlis became the first Greek prime minister to visit Ankara in 49 years.
"Unfortunately this aim was not achieved," she said.
Bakoyannis stressed that Greece supported Turkey's efforts to join the European Union, but said Ankara must meet EU criteria.
"I have said it many times, there is no Europe a la carte for any country, whether that country is 70 million or 700,000," she said. The 27-nation EU has suspended membership negotiations in eight of 35 different policy areas over Turkey's refusal to recognize and open its ports and airports to EU member Greek Cyprus. Only 10 less important files have been opened for talks.
06 February 2009, Friday
AP WITH TODAY'S ZAMAN ANKARA
Greece concerned over rising tension with Turkey
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