Tuesday, January 11, 2005

EUbusiness - Greece says Turkey violates EU standards after alleged territorial incursion

"Greece says Turkey violates EU standards after alleged territorial incursionDocument Actions 11/01/2005

European Union member Greece protested the alleged violation of its territorial waters by Turkish boats Tuesday, charging that Ankara breached the standards of the EU which Ankara hopes eventually to join. The Greek joint chiefs of staff said two Turkish coastguard patrol boats entered Greek territorial waters at the Imia rocks in the southeastern Aegean Sea, which separates the two countries. Despite repeated calls by a Greek patrol boat to withdraw, each of the Turkish boats stayed there for respectively four and two hours, they added. 'Such behaviour is not in accordance with the attitude EU candidate countries should display vis-a-vis member states,' the Greek Foreign Ministry said in a statement. 'Such behaviour is observed and will be judged upon,' the ministry said, adding Greece would inform its EU partners on the incident. "

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