ABSTRACT
The antagonism between Greece and Turkey, aggravated by the Turkish occupation of northern Cyprus in 1973, makes it likely that Greece would veto its application to join the EU under present circumstances. Without oil and gas reserves of consequence Turkey does not offer anything positive economically to the EU and indeed would qualify for a large share of EU regional funds to backward agricultural areas should it enter. Once the future of the former Soviet republics of Transcaucasia and Central Asia is clearer, it is possible that Turkey may seek stronger ties with these areas. With its neighbours in Southwest Asia, namely Syria, Iraq and Iran, it has little of common interest except to keep the Kurds (see Box 13.2), divided unequally between all four countries, from forming a separate state.
