Greek and Turkish prime ministers on Friday exchanged messages of peace and friendship but refrained from publicly commenting on thorny issues, including territorial conflicts in the Aegean Sea, AP reported. NATO allies Greece and Turkey have improved ties over the past decade but remain at odds over war-divided Cyprus and sea and air boundaries in the Aegean. The disputes have hindered Turkey's bid to join the EU. Turkey has also sought information from Greece recently over its plans to build a fence along part of their mutual border to try to stop thousands of illegal migrants from crossing into EU member Greece every month. European Union border agency Frontex has temporarily deployed rapid intervention teams on the border to help Greece stop the flow. Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday met in the eastern Turkish city of Erzurum, which will host the 2011 Winter Universiade, or Winter University Games, an Olympic-style event later this month. «We have decided to leave aside the prejudices of the past and take bolder steps,» Turkey's state-run Anatolia news agency quoted Papandreou as saying. «We want to tear down the wall of prejudice. We must forget the rivalry of the past.» Erdogan said they were working to turn the Aegean Sea into a «sea of peace.» The leaders did not elaborate on future plans. -- SPA
