to the country’s European Union accession', said the former Greek Foreign Minister and leader of the Democratic Alliance Party Dora Bakoyianni in an interview for the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review on Monday.
Bakoyanni was in Instanbul to attend a conference organized by the Women Entrepreneurs Association of Turkey in Istanbul on Monday.
'We disagree strongly with Germany and France's oppostiom to Turkey’s EU bid... If Turkey solves the problem of Cyprus and completes the reform process, then it has the capacity to be a member of the EU.'
'What we need is a viable concrete solution to the Cyprus problem based on a U.N. resolution. There is no possibility for the end of partition when 40,000 troops remain on the island. Besides, the fact that Cyprus is an EU member state is the best guarantee for the island’s security', said the former Foreign Minister.
Bakoyianni also asked about the latest arrests of journalists in Turkey. 'I have been a politician all my life and during my political life I have had so many troubles with the press, but I agree with the words of Voltaire: ‘I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it', stated the leader of the Democratic Alliance Party.
Bakoyianni told Hurriet that she is against Erdogan's decision to built a nuclear plant because Turkey and Greece are in an especially earthquake-prone region.
She also repied to a question about Turkey and Greece’s ongoing Aegean disputes. “One has to understand that the islands are part of our territory. Islands are 40 percent of our territory,” said Bakoyianni, adding that Greece presented no danger for Turkey. “We are allies in NATO and one should see a solution in the continental shelf issue in this regard, then the problems will be solved.”
