Foreign Minister: Turkey will respond to any harassment of its drillship

As the European Union foreign ministers have met to discuss the Eastern Mediterranean crisis, Minister Çavuşoğlu has spoken at a press conference with his counterpart from Switzerland.

İstanbul

Photo: AA

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Turkey will respond to any harassment of its energy exploration ship Oruç Reis in the Eastern Mediterranean, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has said.

"Greece should avoid maximalist policies in the region," Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu told a joint press conference today (August 14) with his counterpart from Switzerland, Ignazio Cassis, in Bern, the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.

His remarks came on the same day as an EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting by video link at Athens' request on the Eastern Mediterranean issue.

On France declaring it would boost its military presence in the region, Çavuşoğlu said: "France should avoid any steps that would raise tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean."

France has supported Greece's efforts to box in Ankara's maritime territory based on small Greek islands close to Turkey's shores.

"We are always in favor of solving all problems through dialogue and peaceful resolutions," said Çavuşoğlu, reiterating Ankara's push for a win-win solution based on fair sharing.

Çavuşoğlu also urged the EU to support dialogue and diplomacy.

Latest developments in the Eastern Mediterranean

On July 28, Turkey announced that it suspended hydrocarbon exploration activities in the Eastern Mediterranean and stated that it was ready to talk with Greece.

On August 6, Greece and Egypt signed a maritime border agreement.

On August 10, Turkey announced that its drillship Oruç Reis would resume energy exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean. It said the ship will continue its work along with the ships Cengiz Han and Ataman until August 23.

On August 14, the EU foreign miniters discussed the crisis at an extraordinary meeting.

(PT/VK)

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