Turkish president slams Greece over EU exclusion

The Turkish President, Suleyman Demirel, has accused Greece of blocking hiscountry's bid to join the European Union and warned Athens that there'd be a price to pay.

Earlier this month, EU leaders excluded Turkey from a list of countries that will start membership talks next year, on account of Ankara's human rights record and its continued occupation of northern Cyprus.

In response, Turkey said it would stop political dialogue with the EU, and its Prime Minister, Mesut Yilmaz, accused Germany of seeing the EU as a Christian club.

He said Turkey's long-term exclusion could drive it to absorb northern Cyprus, which President Demirel has now repeated.

Both leaders insist Turkey's frustration with Greece and the EU will not alter its pro-western stance.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service