Turkey rebuffs EU criticism over East Med violations

Turkey has reacted to a joint statement by EU foreign ministers condemning its violation of Greek airspace and territorial waters as well as Ankara’s “illegal” plans to drill inside Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

In a statement Saturday, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hami Aksoy rebuffed Friday’s statement as “a by-product of unjust and unlawful claims” by Greece and Cyprus, adding that an attitude of this sort “does not stand any chance of contributing to regional peace and stability.”

“What the EU needs to do, instead of acting blindly as the mouthpiece of Greece and [Cyprus] under a pretext of solidarity, is to proceed with common sense while taking international law into consideration as well as the legitimate rights and interests of Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,” said Aksoy referring to the occupied north, repeating Ankara’s ostensible “readiness for dialogue on an equitable basis.”