Erdogan: Greece, others ‘only want Turkey to catch fish’ in East Med
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused, in an interview, Cyprus, Egypt, France and Greece of trying to marginalize Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean and "seize its rights" over oil and gas resources.
“We told them, over and over, that this is wrong and unlawful. We have underlined that Turkey is committed to protect its rights. Their objective (is) to confine Turkey, which has the longest coastline in the Mediterranean, to a tiny shoreline enough only to catch fish,” Erdogan said in an interview to Turkish magazine Kriter.
Turkey foiled this attempt by launching its own drilling in the region, Erdoğan said, adding, “I say openly and clearly: We do not want tension in the Mediterranean, the cradle of different civilizations through history. To the contrary, we believe that hydrocarbon resources in the region can offer opportunities to the entire region.”
“Our doors are open to any proposal based on cooperation and a fair revenue share. We are ready to work with everyone on the basis of these principles.”
[Hurriyet Daily News]
