Turkish official distances himself from Blue Homeland

A leading Turkish diplomat has reportedly distanced himself from Ankara’s “Blue Homeland” doctrine – which envisions Turkey’s influence over a large stretch of the Mediterranean. 

According to the government-controlled Yeni Safak newspaper, the director of the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Cagatay Erciyes, stopped short of backing the Blue Homeland doctrine at a conference in Washington last week where he presented Turkey’s positions.

When referring to the Blue Homeland, he reportedly told his interlocutors, “I tell you this because I was asked to tell you.” Then, pointing to the map of the Turkish-Libya memorandum, he said, “I cannot say that it is Turkey’s position.” The paper called his behavior a “huge scandal.” He also reportedly said that Turkey has no sea border with Israel, prompting a reaction by several Turkish military experts saying it does. 

However, Erciyes retracted his views in a tweet after the Yeni Safak story broke.