German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed optimism on Friday over the possible procurement by Greece of Eurofighter jets and sent a clear message to Turkey to honour its European Union commitments and recognize Cyprus, according to dpa. The Eurofighter Typhoon, previously called the Eurofighter 2000, is a multinational effort by European nations to produce a cutting- edge fighter aircraft, co-produced by the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain and Italy. In her one-day talks with Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, the German chancellor said that "she was positive about the future of negotiations," adding that they are "on a good way and that the procedure must be open and transparent." "This takes time but we are optimistic," said Merkel. Greece has cold-shouldered EU defence groups in the past few years by buying military aircraft from the United States. In March 2000, the then ruling Socialist government promised Germany that Greece would place an order for 60 Eurofighter aircraft at a cost of approximately 5 billion euros (6.85 billion dollars at current exchange rates) but barely a year later its changed its mind. Following talks on Friday with Merkel, Karamanlis said that Athens was finally eager to "advance" this file. Greece plans to spend over 22 billion euros in arms procurements over the next 10 years, with just over one-third going toward the acquisition of new frigates and next-generation fighter aircraft. Greece's military spending, which accounts for five per cent of the country's gross domestic product, is at least partially influenced by ongoing disputes with neighbouring Turkey. On the topic of Turkey, the German chancellor said Ankara still failed to honour its commitments towards the EU on recognizing member state Cyprus. Turkey has yet to bring itself in line with the Ankara Protocol which it signed with the EU and commits it to open its ports and airports to traffic from all EU member states, a group that includes the internationally recognized Greek Cypriot government in Nicosia. Ankara cites the divided status of Cyprus and a trade embargo affecting the internationally unrecognised northern Turkish Cypriot part of the island as their argument for refusing to ratify the protocol. Ankara's refusal to implement the protocol left the EU to freeze eight of the 35 negotiating chapters in December 2006. Greece has been a staunch supporter of Turkey's EU accession course but has said that it must adopt EU values such as human rights and religious freedom.
