Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan said on Wednesday that Turkey would not back down regarding its claims to energy exploration rights in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
“We will not compromise over what belongs to us. ... We are determined to do whatever is necessary,” said Erdoğan, according to Reuters. He also warned other countries to avoid mistakes that he said would bring their destruction.
“If there is anyone who wants to pay its price, they are welcome to confront us. If not then they should go away so we can handle our own business,” he said.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas visited Greece and Turkey on Tuesday in an effort to calm rising tensions between the two countries over energy resources in the eastern Mediterranean, where both are currently holding naval drills.
Also on Wednesday, France joined the military exercises in the eastern Mediterranean, along with Italy, Greece and Cyprus, amid the growing tensions with Turkey, which they see as infringing upon Greece“s territorial waters, according to Reuters.
“The eastern Mediterranean is turning into an area of tension. Respect for international law must be the rule and not the exception,” said French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly, adding that it “should not be a playground for the ambitions of some.”
