ANKARA (TURKEY) – No threats can prevent Turkey from exploring natural resources in the eastern Mediterranean, said President Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday, adding that actors in the region should initiate measures to de-escalate tensions.
Greece and Cyprus are embroiled in a dispute with Turkey over overlapping claims to areas rich in natural resources. Turkey has sent two survey vessels to the area claimed by the three nations. On Tuesday, Cyprus said it was willing to engage with all its neighbours on defining maritime boundaries.
“Turkey is determined to seek its rights in the eastern Mediterranean until the end,” Erdogan said. “No colonialist power or threat can deter our country from the oil and natural gas resources believed to be in the region,” he said, adding his country wanted to resolve the crisis through dialogue and diplomacy.
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field