Greek Cyprus, Greece support Turkey's EU entry bid

NICOSIA- The Associated Press

Greece's foreign minister says it's in the best interests of his country, Cyprus and the European Union that Turkey's faltering bid to join the bloc stays on track.

George Katrougalos said after talks on March 19 with his Greek Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides that an "anti-European, hostile Turkey" on the EU's eastern frontier is undesirable, but that Ankara has to fully respect EU principles.

He added that Greece opposes the fostering of a climate of "Islamophobia" that's contrary to values that the EU espouses.

Christodoulides said Greek Cyprus disagrees with other EU member states that don't want Turkey to join the bloc because it would scupper efforts to reunify the ethnically divided Mediterranean island nation.