Prime Minister Ersin Tatar said on Monday that Turkey’s discovery of natural gas in the Black Sea will reflect on the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean.
In an interview with Turkish news channel CNN Türk, Tatar said that Turkey had entered a very different phase following the agreements it signed with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and Libya.
“Turkey is a regional leader. It is also a country which has the most rights in the Eastern Mediterranean. Its hand is growing stronger on the basis of international law,” he said.
“Once again we see Turkey becoming a player as a result of the discovery of the Black Sea natural gas. This has further strengthened its position in the region,” he said.
Also touching upon the issue of Maraş/Varosha, Prime Minister Tatar said the return of the fenced-off town to the Greek Cypriot side was out of the question.
“Maraş has one of the most beautiful shorelines in the world. It was a tourism hotspot before 1974,” he noted.
Tatar pointed out that it was also not possible to take such an important step without consulting Turkey.
“Turkey has done all it can for the development of the TRNC. Reopening the fenced-off town after 46 years will contribute greatly to the TRNC economy and tourism sector,” he concluded.
BRT
