Turkey makes new overtures to Greece

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ANKARA, Turkey, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- Sources say Turkey's prime minister has personally proposed a new level of cooperation with Greece, its neighbor and long-time rival.

The proposal was delivered to the Greek government this week in the form a personal letter from Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Greek counterpart George Papandreou that was hand delivered by Turkey's new ambassador to Athens.

Sources told Turkish media that Erdogan proposed modeling Turkish-Greek relations on the same basis as recently the established cooperation mechanism his country has established with other neighboring nations, Kathimerini reported Friday.

The letter specifically proposes a joint council to discuss key Aegean matters including the reunification of Cyprus and illegal immigration.

A top Turkish diplomat told the Daily Zaman that his government acknowledges there are long-running issues between the two nations but nothing serious enough that it should prevent an increased level of cooperation between governments.