Greece and Cyprus today said they supported Turkey's bid to join the European Union, but declared the candidate should meet EU conditions, including those over the divided island of Cyprus.
"We believe that a Turkey which will adopt European rules of behaviour .... will be a Turkey much better for its citizens and the whole of the EU," Greek prime minister Costas Karamanlis told a press conference.
Mr Karamanlis said although he believed Turkey's progress had not been sufficient over various phases of its entry talks, these deficiencies were not severe enough to warrant Greece changing its policy on supporting Turkey's candidacy.
"Its European perspective for entry presupposes its full adaptation and full adoption of the conditions for one to be a member of the European Union. From there on there is an issue on whether this is being followed in a satisfactory manner," he said after talks with Cypriot president Demetris Christofias.
"The assessment we make...is that right now it is not satisfactory. But I do not think that this should lead, now, to a change in strategy," Mr Karamanlis said.
Turkey invaded northern Cyprus in 1974 after a brief Greek inspired coup. The island's now estranged Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities launched peace talks in late 2008.
Cyprus is represented in the EU by its Greek Cypriots, and a peace deal on the island would improve Turkey's chances of joining.
Reuters