World IN BRIEF / EUROPE : Greece Gives OK for Turkey to Join EU

In a significant change of heart, Greece told its European Union partners that it no longer objects to longtime rival Turkey joining the EU. Greece would favor Turkish membership as long as the union does not ease entry conditions for its eastern neighbor, Greek officials said after a weekend EU foreign ministers meeting in Finland. Greece now believes that it is “in its own interest to see Turkey move closer to Europe,” Foreign Minister George Papandreou said. He said he spoke with Ismail Cem, his Turkish counterpart, by telephone. As a gesture of goodwill, Greece won’t block hundreds of millions of dollars in EU grants and loans to help Turkey rebuild from last month’s earthquake, Papandreou said. EU officials praised the new policy as a breakthrough that promises to end years of Greek vetoes of funds for Turkey.