Turkey will continue oil and gas exploration in the eastern Mediterranean, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. His comments could rekindle tensions with the European Union and Greece. Turkey has long been at loggerheads with two EU member states, Greece and Cyprus, over the right to explore for gas in the Mediterranean.
Last year, tensions escalated so much that Athens and Ankara sent warships to the region. But after EU pressure, both countries got involved in the talks and relations went on calming down.
Speaking in the northwestern province of Sakarya, Erdogan said Turkey possessed “natural gas” data in the eastern Mediterranean and vowed to continue defending his country’s rights to the region.
“We will carry out our oil exploration operations in the eastern Mediterranean, Cyprus and all those seas,” he said, without giving details of a timeline.
Last year, EU leaders threatened Turkey with sanctions if it did not withdraw a search ship from the Mediterranean. Ankara subsequently withdrew the ship, engaging in improving relations with the EU.
But the European Union is also cautious in its relations with Turkey, as the Turkish president has repeatedly threatened the bloc that it could open borders to millions of Middle Eastern migrants in Turkey.
Erdogan’s comments on the gas exploration came a week after the EU pledged 3.5 billion euros in order for Turkey to continue to house Syrian refugees until 2024.
Ankara has rejected the offer, and called on the bloc to show concrete readiness to boost co-operation.REL