Greece, Turkey begin talks

ATHENS [MENL] -- Greece and Turkey will begin their rapproachment this week with talks on cooperation in the fields of culture and trade.

Greek officials said the meeting on Monday will be held in Ankara and be the first of five between Ankara and Athens. Greek government spokesman Dmitris Reppas said the Greece would be represented by two Foreign Ministry officials.

Reppas said subseqent meetings would be held in Ankara. Those meetings would focus on such issues as law enforcement, illegal immigration and terrorism.

Last month, the foreign ministers of Greece and Turkey met in New York to launch a rapproachment effort in the wake of the NATO campaign in Kosovo. Both countries are NATO members and were said to have quietly cooperated during the alliance's offensive against Yugoslavia.

Last Wednesday, German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer arrived in Istanbul for talks with Turkish officials. Officials said Fischer will appeal to the Turks not to execute Kurdish Workers Party leader Abdullah Ocalan, sentenced to death for leading a 15-year insurgency against Ankara.

Earlier, Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Grigoris Niotis met with U.S. State Department special coordinator on terrorism issues Michael Sheehan. Sheehan spent a week in Greece and met with law enforcement official to increase Greece's counterterrorism efforts.

"This is a dialogue within the context of Greek-American cooperation, which is continuing and we believe will be beneficial to both sides," U.S. ambassador to Athens Nicholas Burns said.

In an unrelated issue, Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit has vowed to oppose international efforts to reunify Cyprus. Ecevit, attending the celebration of 25 years since Turkish troops landed in Cyprus and paved the way for the establishment of the breakaway republic of North Cyprus, said the tiny state would be allowed to join Turkey in a federation. North Cyprus was formally declared in 1983.

Ecevit and Turkish-Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash issued a joint statement that pledged to advance efforts towards integration.

"The relationship between Turkey and the TRNC will be developed and deepened in line with the target of integration set at the highest level. With the aim of protecting their common interests, Turkey and the TRNC will sign a special relationship agreement in the period ahead," the two leaders said.

Turkey is the only country to recognize the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus. In 1997, the two countries signed an association agreement in protest of the European Union's decision to begin talks on accepting the entire island as a member.