Papandreou Ended A Taboo Of 550 Years!

However, then he used the name “Istanbul” and thereby he destroyed a 550-year-old taboo in this sense. Because, eve though the name of the city was changed to Istanbul 550 years ago, Greeks continue to call it Constantinople.

In the press conference, Papandreou said; We can say that we took great steps when compared to the last 40 years. Our message is that we should draw lessons from our past experiences. This is necessary for the next generations of both countries to live in peace and prosperity. These bilateral relations give us the chance of solving our problems step by step. Gul said, “The will of our people to turn Aegean into a sea of peace encourages our governments.”

In Athens, Gul signed the Olympic Peace Communiqué and said, “As the neighbor of Greece, Turkey has a lot to do to assist her in 2004 Athens Olympic Games.”