PRESS RELEASE

8 July 1997

Greece and Turkey Sign Non-Aggression Pact

Greece and Turkey signed a document on 8 July which commits both NATO allies to resolve all their bilateral differences "with peaceful means on the basis of mutual consensus and without the use, or threat of use, of violence". The Greek Prime Minister, Kostas Simitis, said that the provisions contained in the one-page document effectively constitute a non-aggression pact.

This extraordinary development occurred during the NATO Madrid Summit and was initiated by the US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. The one page long, untitled document signifies an important step in the process of rapprochement between the two NATO rivals. It follows the establishment of separate groups of experts who are tasked to look at the whole spectrum of bilateral relations.

Turkish President Suleiman Demirel and Greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis agreed to: [BASIC's translation]

"initiate an effort to promote bilateral relations based on the following principles:

• Mutual commitment for peace, security and the continuous development of good neighbourly relations;
• Respect for the sovereignty of each country;
• Respect for the principles of International Law and International Conventions;
• Respect for the lawful and supreme interests of each state in the Aegean, interests which are of paramount importance for their security and national sovereignty;
• Commitment to avoid unilateral actions on the basis of mutual respect and desire to avoid conflicts arising from misunderstandings;
• Commitment to settle their differences with peaceful means, on the basis of mutual consensus and without the use, or threat of use, of violence".

BASIC Senior Analyst Tasos Kokkinides said "if fully implemented, this agreement will constitute a remarkable step forward for security and stability in the south-eastern NATO area."

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