Turkey will never abandon its rights in the Aegean and Mediterranean, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told a party meeting of AKP officials.
“We are obliged to protect our rights. If we had not behaved in this way in the past, we would not have this stance that today gives prestige to our country, politically, economically and socially. We achieved this by not only focusing on domestic issues but at the same time facing world’s most powerful economic and military countries,” he said.
He added that, “in Palestine, Bosnia, Cyprus, Iraq, Syria, Libya we made our choices based on virtue, morality, conscience and law.”
“We are obliged to continue in the same way. We will not take hasty decisions without first consulting with our consciousness, “he concluded.
EU Commission reminds Turkey of Council conclusions on Cyprus’ rights to exploit resources
Meanwhile, the European Commission reminds Turkey of the March European Council statement – the highest ranking body within the European Union – on the right of the Republic of Cyprus to explore and exploit its natural resources, including the Exclusive Economic Zone.
In particular, Commission Chief Spokesman Margaritis Schinas, responding to a question by CNA on the warnings issued by the Turkish Foreign Ministry to the companies operating in the Cypriot EEZ, referred to the March European Council that adopted a special paragraph on the subject, as well as to the specific reference made by the President of the European Council to this paragraph.
The European Commission’s Chief Spokesman noted that the Council had supported Cyprus’s right to exploit its natural resources in its exclusive economic zone and warned Turkey to stay away from friction and threats in the region.
