TURKEY, GREECE MOVING TOWARDS AEGEAN TALKS - OZAL
Turkish Prime Minister Turgut Ozal said
Turkey and Greece were moving towards talks in their row over
oil rights in the Aegean Sea.
    He was speaking to reporters after talks with Turkish
Ambassador to Athens Nazmi Akiman, who arrived last night from
a meeting with Greek Premier Andreas Papandreou.
    "Both sides are now moving towards starting discussions. In
order not to jeopardise these, it would be improper to give
details," he said.
    Ozal told reporters Akiman came to Turkey to brief the
government "on efforts aimed at starting discussions between
Turkey and Greece" and a reply would be made to Athens soon.
    He did not say whether he was taking up Papandreou's
renewed offer today that the two countries meet to discuss how
to refer the issue to the International Court of Justice at The
Hague, but said the court was not the only way to a solution.
    Turkey has in the past rejected the basis for Greece's
proposal to go to the court, a 1956 Geneva Convention and the
Law of the Sea, which it says support Athens' arguments.
 REUTER
