'Past rivals Greece, Turkey to boost military ties'

12 Dec 2007

ATHENS, Greece (AP) - Greece and Turkey will expand military cooperation as part of new confidence-building measures agreed upon after ties between the traditional rivals were boosted by a major gas pipeline project, officials said Tuesday.

The armed forces of both countries will expand high level visits, and conduct joint missions in NATO, disaster assistance efforts and overseas peacekeeping duties, Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis said.

«Our relations are developing in a dynamic way ... but this requires continued hard work,» Bakoyannis said after talks in Athens with Turkish counterpart Ali Babacan.

Bakoyannis said Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis will pay an official visit to Turkey «very soon» _ the first in 48 years.
Greece and Turkey, at odds over Cyprus and disputed Aegean Sea boundaries, have abandoned decades of rivalry in recent years. Athens is now a strong backer of Turkish efforts to join the European Union.

Greek-Turkish ties were boosted last month when leaders of the two countries opened a gas pipeline project that will carry natural gas from central Asia to western Europe, eventually connecting Azerbaijan and Italy.
The border area dividing Greece and Turkey is currently militarized on both sides. Greece has said it would clear the area of anti-personnel mines by 2010 _ four years before an international treaty deadline.

http://www.pr-inside.com/past-rivals-greece-turkey-to-boost-r331007.htm