Turkey is determined to continue to explore hydrocarbon resources in the Eastern Mediterranean, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared on Thursday.
Ersin Tatar, the prime minister of the so-called Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, was on an official visit to Ankara when Erdogan reiterated his position that Turkey will claim rights to any fossil fuels found off the island. The Turkish president’s remarks were made in the press conference that followed their meeting.
“No project ignoring Turkey or the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus can be realized in the Eastern Mediterranean,” Erdogan was quoted as saying by Turkey’s state-run Anadolu News Agency.
The Turkish leader’s statement came after French President Emmanuel Macron requested that Ankara cease its aggressive behavior in the Eastern Mediterranean and the US State Department asked for the removal of the ship “Yavuz” from waters off the Karpasia Peninsula in northerm Cyprus.
Two Turkish oil drilling ships, the Fatih and the Yavuz, are currently operating in the area, accompanied by the “Barbaros,” an exploration vessel from Turkey.
FRANCE WARNS TURKEY
French President Emmanuel Macron said during a joint statement with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Thursday that France will not accept any Turkish violations inside Cyprus’ EEZ, emphasizing that France ”will not show any weakness.”
Prime Minister Mitsotakis, who arrived in Paris earlier on Thursday, was warmly welcomed by President Macron at the entrance of the French capital’s Élysée Palace.
A similar position has been adpted by the U.S. State Department urging Tukey to remove the drilling ship Yavuz from Cyprus’ territorial waters, calling Ankara’s activities “unlawful,”.
According to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) the United States considers the activities of the Turkish drillship Yavuz off the coast of Karpasia in the northeastern part of Cyprus as unlawful, and is urging Turkish authorities to immediately cease operations and remove the rig from the Republic of Cyprus’ territorial seas.

Greek Tribune