Greece responsible for any ‘negative developments’ in East Med, says Erdogan
Greece is from now on responsible for any “negative developments” in the Aegean Sea and East Mediterranean and will be the “only one to suffer,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was quoted as saying on Monday.
“Greece does not have the right to declare a Navtex in the region,” Erdogan said in translated comments following a meeting of his cabinet in Istanbul, hours after Greece issued an advisory to ships that its air and naval forces would conduct joint exercises in an area that overlaps with the one reserved by Ankara in a similar advisory issued on Sunday.
The move by Athens was made in response to Ankara to extend a Navtex for “seismic surveys” for oil and gas south of the island of Kastellorizo until Thursday from its original Sunday deadline.
Also on Monday, Turkey issued another Navtex for a sea area south of Crete.
“We have shown those trying to prevent us in the Eastern Mediterranean that we will claim our rights even if this means using force when necessary,” Erdogan said.
