Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu
Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said Monday that Turkey could start drilling in the Eastern Mediterranean this autumn as the country had already purchased a platform.
Speaking at a joint news conference with his Turkish Cypriot counterpart Kudret Ozersay, Çavuşoğlu said the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has territorial waters and a continental shelf which Turkey would take all measures to protect.
"Turkey has an economic area in the Eastern Mediterranean," he added.
Çavuşoğlu also mentioned that Turkey had earlier prevented the start of some drilling works in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Turkey is on full alert in the Eastern Mediterranean with the launch of Russian military drills and U.S. destroyers equipped with Tomahawk missiles turning toward the region as an offensive in Syria’s last opposition-held stronghold of Idlib looms.The Russian defense ministry said that more than 25 warships and support vessels and around 30 planes, including fighter jets and strategic bombers, would take part in the Mediterranean drills which it said would last from Sept. 1 to Sept. 8.Upon these developments, Turkey, which previously had 10 warships in the region, dispatched several more naval vessels to the region, the exact number of which is unknown.Turkey has numerously expressed its objections to an Idlib offensive, saying it would lead to disaster, and is taking every precaution to protect its rights and interests in international waters.US sees assault on Idlib as escalation of Syria conflict: PompeoGermany warns of ‘catastrophe’ in Syria’s Idlib'Turkey essential to preventing bloodbath in Syria’s Idlib’U.S. aggression against SyriaAnatoly Antonov, Russia's ambassador to the United States, warned Washington on Thursday against what he called "groundless and illegal aggression against Syria." Antonov said he had told U.S. officials Moscow was concerned by signs that the United States was preparing new strikes on Syria.Warships at the readyThe U.S. and NATO allies such as the U.K. and France are keeping their navy ships in the Mediterranean on full alert. The Russian Defense Ministry said U.S. destroyers Karni and Ross will be ready to strike Syria within 24 hours. On Saturday, U.S. navy ship USNS Carson City T-EPF-7 reached the Mediterranean from the Dardanelles Strait. The U.S. had previously struck Syria by having warships deployed in the Mediterranean, Red Sea and the Basra Gulf fire missiles at Syrian regime targets. Though not directly linked to the developments in Idlib, Turkey’s ramped-up presence in the Mediterranean aims to prevent a fait accompli in Turkish waters with regards to issues of security and energy. Countries such as Russia, the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Israel, Egypt, Greece and Italy all maintain a navy presence in the Mediterranean.The United Nations has called on Russia, Iran and Turkey to delay a battle that could affect millions of civilians.Russia and Turkey, along with Iran are sponsoring the Astana peace talks, which focuses on a cease-fire and ending the seven-year civil war in Syria.Syria’s civil war has cost an estimated 400,000 lives, displaced more than 11 million people and led to a severe shortage of food, clean water and healthcare.
Turkish warships at the ready in East Med as Idlib battle looms
"Now, we have a platform and we can start drilling," Çavuşoğlu said noting that Ankara has discussed the issue with drilling companies and guarantor country Greece,
Çavuşoğlu added that he will also meet his Greek counterpart Nikos Kotzias on Tuesday in the Turkish province of Izmir and discuss the Cyprus issue.
He said if the Greek Cypriot side continues taking unilateral steps, Turkey will start drilling activities.
Russian Navy and Air Forces will hold their first-ever post-Soviet military exercises in the Mediterranean Sea on Sept. 1-8, Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Korolev announced Friday."In the period from 1 to 8 September this year, a group of Russian Navy and Air Forces will hold the first drill in the modern history of Russia in the Mediterranean Sea," Korolev said.Two submarines, 26 vessels from the Northern Fleet, Baltic Fleet, Caspian Flotilla and the Black Sea Fleet as well as 34 planes and helicopters of Russian Air Forces will take part in the exercises, he said, adding that Soviet-era "Marshal Ustinov" cruiser, which went through refitting and modernization, will lead the naval group.The drill will also feature Air Forces' Tu-160 strategic missile carriers, Tu-142 and Il-38 anti-submarine aircraft, as well as SU-33 fighters and SU-30sm naval aircraft, Korolev said.Russia guarantees strict appliance with the international rules in order to ensure safe navigation and flights in the Mediterranean during the drill, the commander-in-chief said."After the exercise, the forces will return to their permanent bases," Korolev said.According to a map revealed by the Russian Defense Ministry, the war games will be held in 11 areas mainly in the eastern Mediterranean.Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov has said the Russian exercises in the Mediterranean had nothing to do with the situation in Idlib, Syria."I do not think the exercises may be related to Idlib. I heard the drill was in the plan. In any case, Idlib is not in the Mediterranean region," he said.Russia's Putin to meet Vietnam's Nguyen Phu Trong in Sochi on Sept. 6Russia says US would suffer, after Trump threat to exit WTORussia challenges arbitrator's jurisdiction in Ukraine oil disputeRussia's Putin to meet Erdoğan, Rouhani on Sept. 7Three killed in explosion at munitions plant in Russia
Russia set for first post-Soviet military drill in Med.
Ozersay also reiterated that if Greek Cypriots will continue unilateral drilling activities, Turkish Cypriots will also "start drilling soon" in accordance with the license it had already provided to Turkish Petroleum.
Turkey has repeatedly warned the Greek Cypriot Administration about its unilateral hydrocarbon-related research in the Eastern Mediterranean, saying Turkish Cypriots also have rights to the resources around the area.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when a Greek Cypriot coup was followed by violence against the island's Turks and Ankara's intervention as a guarantor power.
In 2017, after two years of negotiations, the latest attempt to reunify the long-divided Mediterranean island ended in failure.