Turkey Says Eu Should Respect Its Stance On Eastern Mediterranean

Turkey has urged all institutions, especially the EU, to respect its principled stance on the eastern Mediterranean, as well as the rights and interests of Turkish Cypriots.

A statement issued after the country’s National Security Council meeting on Thursday said Ankara’s “attitude and actions” in the eastern Mediterranean were part of its stance on the side of “rightness, fairness and justice” in every regional and global dispute.

The council was chaired by Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the presidential complex and in a meeting that lasted over four hours.

“All institutions, especially the European Union and the states involved in the disputes are urged to respect our country’s principled stance and rights and interests of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,” the statement read.

It also noted that Turkey has not and will not compromise its rights and interests on land, sea or in the air.

“Turkey is always in favour of dialogue on every platform for fair sharing of natural resources in the region,” it added.

READ MORE: Turkey keeps calm despite provocation from Greece

Greece, with France’s support, has disputed Turkey’s energy exploration, trying to box in the Turkish maritime territory based on small islands near the Turkish coast.

Turkey, the country with the longest coastline on the Mediterranean, has sent seismic ships with a military escort to explore for energy on its continental shelf, saying that Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) also have rights in the region.

To reduce tensions, Turkey has called for dialogue to ensure fair sharing of the region’s resources.

READ MORE: Turkey and Greece to meet in Istanbul for eastern Mediterranean talks