Greece Threatens to Veto EU-Turkish Partnership AccordGreece threatened November 28 to veto the European Union (EU)-Turkish partnership accord if it does not reflect the Helsinki decision."The EU-Turkish partnership agreement will be definitely rejected if it is not fully compatible with the Helsinki decision," Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said at a press briefing. Describing the Helsinki decision as "a milestone decision," Reppas said that the Helsinki decision includes all the rules that must govern the relations between the EU and Turkey, and the latter must accept those rules. The Helsinki decision takes into consideration both the EU and the Turkish interests, and it is not one-sided, he added. Reppas criticized as inconceivable the stance of certain Turkish politicians, who do not fully accept the Helsinki decision. The spokesman said that the partnership agreement must reflect the spirit and the letter of the Helsinki decision. Greece had for years rejected Turkey's EU accession course because of its strained relations with the neighboring country. With the improvement in the bilateral relations in recent years, Greece did not use its veto power at the EU summit in Helsinki last December on the condition that Turkey must abandon its aggressive policy towards Greece and not block Cyprus' efforts to join the EU. |
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