REVISES DECK; UPDATES WITH MORE QUOTES FROM TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER
By Merve Aydogan
ANKARA (AA) - All of Turkey’s activities in the Eastern Mediterranean – including military exercises – are in line with NATO regulations, the country’s foreign minister said on Tuesday.
"Our drills [in the Eastern Mediterranean] are done within the framework of NATO rules," Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters when asked about Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias' claims that Turkey is carrying out "exercises with live ammunition."
At a joint press conference with his Congolese counterpart Jean-Claude Gakosso, Cavusoglu decried Athens' unwillingness to engage in dialogue to ease tensions, citing recent reconciliation initiatives by the EU and NATO.
"Greece made it clear that it is not in favor of dialogue by rejecting the recent [reconciliation] initiatives," he said.
He stressed the need to take a principled stance and act honestly, calling on Greece to come to the negotiation table.
Criticizing Athens trying to claim 40,000 square kilometers of maritime jurisdiction based on Meis – a 10 square kilometer island just 2 km from Antalya, Turkey but 580 km from the Greek mainland – Cavusoglu said: "What other country could make such an arrogant request? Nowhere else in the world will you find such a thing."
Greece has disputed Turkey's current energy exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean, trying to box in Turkish maritime territory based on small islands near the Turkish coast.
Turkey – the country with the longest coastline on the Mediterranean – has sent out drill ships to explore for energy on its continental shelf, saying that Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) have rights in the region.
Dialogue for sharing these resources fairly would be win-win for all sides, say Turkish officials.
- 'YPG/PKK is biggest enemy of Kurdish people'
Commenting on the terrorist PKK criticizing this week’s visit to Turkey by Nechirvan Barzani, the leader of Iraq's Kurdish Regional Government (KRG), Cavusoglu said the terror group is known for persecuting and harming Kurds.
"In fact, the PKK does the most harm to the Kurds in northern Iraq" – the area under KRG jurisdiction – he said.
"We must accept that the biggest enemy of Kurds is the PKK, YPG, and other terror groups. Our Kurdish brothers and sisters must make the greatest contribution in the fight against them [terror groups]," he added.
In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and the EU – has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is the PKK’s Syrian branch.