TURKEY CALLS FOR DIALOGUE TO SOLVE DISPUTE
Turkey said today its disputes with
Greece, including rights on the continental shelf in the Aegean
Sea, should be solved through negotiations.
    A Foreign Ministry statement said the latest crisis between
the two NATO members stemmed from the continental shelf dispute
and an agreement on this issue would effect the security,
economy and other rights of both countries.
    "As the issue is basicly political, a solution can only be
found by bilateral negotiations," the statement said. Greece has
repeatedly said the issue was legal and could be solved at the
International Court of Justice.
    The two countries approached armed confrontation last month
after Greece announced it planned oil exploration work in the
Aegean and Turkey said it would also search for oil.
    A face-off was averted when Turkey confined its research to
territorrial waters. "The latest crises created an historic
opportunity to solve the disputes between the two countries,"
the Foreign Ministry statement said.
    Turkey's ambassador in Athens, Nazmi Akiman, was due to
meet Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou today for the Greek
reply to a message sent last week by Turkish Prime Minister
Turgut Ozal. The contents of the message were not disclosed.
 Reuter
