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Turkey won’t back down against sanctions, threats amid Mediterranean standoff: Erdogan

Sunday, 16 August 2020 8:49 AM [ Last Update: Sunday, 16 August 2020 9:58 AM ]

Turkish seismic research vessel Oruc Reis is escorted by Turkish Navy ships as it sets sail in the Mediterranean Sea, off Antalya, Turkey, August 10, 2020. (Photo by Reuters)

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Ankara will never cave in to international threats and sanctions over its energy exploration in the waters of the eastern Mediterranean, which have been the subject of a territorial row between Turkey and Greece.

In a televised speech on Saturday, Erdogan defended Turkey’s exploration of oil and gas in the eastern Mediterranean, saying the measures are justified under both international maritime law and established conventions.

Vowing to continue its energy exploration as planned, Erdogan warned that he would not tolerate “banditry” close to the Turkish mainland.

“Our country is entirely in the right and we will continue to defend our rights, using all the means at our disposal,” the Turkish president said in his televised address.

“We will never bow to banditry on our continental shelf. We will not back down against the language of sanctions and threats,” Erdogan stressed, in a veiled rebuke of Greece and France.

The search for oil and gas in the contested eastern Mediterranean has pitted Turkey against its NATO ally, Greece, and, subsequently, the entire European Union bloc.

The standoff deepened on Monday after Turkey launched naval drills off two Greek islands and announced the resumption of its energy exploration activity in the disputed area.

Turkey has dispatched the seismic research vessel, Oruc Reis, accompanied by naval vessels, off the Greek island of Kastellorizo, where Turkey disputes Greek maritime rights. Greece has responded by sending its own military vessels to monitor the situation.

Erdogan: Greece’s attack on Turkish ship in Mediterranean to incur ‘heavy price'

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned Greece against any attack on the country’s vessel engaged in energy exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Erdogan’s comments followed a meeting of European Union foreign ministers of Friday, in which the top diplomats joined voices to defend Greece and slammed Ankara’s actions in the disputed sea as dangerous and antagonist.

A day earlier, France had announced it was “temporarily reinforcing” its presence in the eastern Mediterranean in support of Greece.

Athens and Paris have also called for sanctions against Turkey.

Tensions with Greece reignite as Turkey holds military drills, resumes energy exploration

Turkey has launched naval exercises off two Greek islands and announced resumption of its energy exploration research activity in the disputed area, as territorial tensions escalate in the eastern Mediterranean.

Turkey had paused the research activities after a request from Germany, but restarted them after an agreement signed between Greece and Egypt that designated an exclusive economic zone for oil and gas drilling rights in the eastern Mediterranean between the two countries.

Ankara rejected the agreement as “null and void,” describing as an attempt to keep it out of the region.

The Turkish government has, however, said it is interested in resolving the dispute with Greece through dialog.

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