No overnight solution to Aegean dispute, Turkish FM says
Monday, November 1, 2010
FULYA ÖZERKAN
BEIJING Hürriyet Daily News
The course of exploratory talks between Turkey and Greece on finding a solution to the Aegean dispute has been encouraging but no one should expect a swift solution, according to Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu.
The prevailing atmosphere is positive but a resolution of the dispute cannot happen overnight, Davutoğlu told a group of journalists accompanying him on his China trip. We need to be patient.
The foreign minister declined to respond to insistent questions over rumors that appeared in the Greek media about a formula to end the dispute.
Hopes of a solution to the deep-rooted Aegean problems emerged again when Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited Greece early this month and met with his counterpart on the sidelines of an international climate summit.
We do not want [military] flights over the [Aegean] islands, the Turkish prime minister told Greek media, fueling hopes of a solution.
Exploratory talks proceed with goodwill and in line with the culture of compromise. We do not want confrontations between air and naval forces in this region. We want our people to freely travel, Davutoğlu said.
The positive atmosphere between the two countries expressed by the two countries leaders when Erdoğan visited Athens has been followed by diplomats continuing exploratory talks. Progress has been made in these talks, diplomats say.
