Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has repeated that Turkey is determined to protect the rights and interests of Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot people in the Eastern Mediterranean to the very end.
He said his ministry was informing foreign diplomats as to the drilling situation and “everyone has seen the realities”.
Çavuşoğlu added that Turkey was carrying out drilling activities in its own continental shelf and EEZ declarations by any country, especially one they do not recognise, does not mean they are valid declarations.
He added that Turkey had communicated the extent of its own continental shelf to the United Nations.
Çavuşoğlu also said that drilling in areas licensed by the TRNC would also continue.
“Despite our warnings – despite the fact that we warned the EU and the international community – the Greek Cypriot administration is conducting unilateral drilling operations without guaranteeing the rights of the Turkish Cypriots”, said Çavuşoğlu.
“This problem needs to be resolved. Instead of making statements against Turkey, the problem must be solved from its root. And then the hydrocarbons around Cyprus can be evaluated and channelled through Turkey into the international market. If instead of adopting this logical approach they take unilateral steps then we do what we have to do and do”, he said.
BRTK
