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Source: Dubai – Arabia.net
Despite the insoluble crisis in the Eastern Mediterranean, which has reached the point of threatening the European Union with imposing sanctions on Ankara for the exploration of Turkish gas in areas disputed with Cyprus and Greece, the Turkish Defense Ministry announced this Thursday , the participation of a group of Turkish special forces, in joint exercises that include 6 countries such as Greece, in the last joint cooperation between the forces of the two countries, as the atmosphere between them became tense due to the Mediterranean crisis.
A statement from the Turkish Defense Ministry said: “With the participation of elements of the special forces, joint maneuvers have been initiated for the Balkan countries, with the participation of forces from Turkey, Romania, Greece, Bulgaria, Albania and Macedonia, during the period from September 14 to 25, 2020, in Romania “.
The statement added: “The objective of the exercise (maneuvers) is to develop friendship, cooperation and coordination between the special forces of the Balkan countries, exchange knowledge and mutual experiences, and develop their capacity to conduct joint operations.”
Erdogan attacks Greece
Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attacked French President Emmanuel Macron, describing him as incompetent.
He also criticized Greece, considering that its policy is correct, and that no one will be allowed to isolate his country within its coasts despite having the longest coastline in the Mediterranean.
“Bandits”
He added, as reported by Turkish media: “Despite the provocations of the other party (referring to Greece) and their childish behavior in the eastern Mediterranean, we are acting prudently because we are a great country and from the right,” he said.
In addition, he considered that his counterparts in the eastern Mediterranean had realized that the language of the threat was useless and that Turkey would not be subject to blackmail and what he described as “bandits”.
Erdogan and Macron traded insults for months after they took contradictory positions on various conflicts, ranging from Libya and other regions of the Middle East, to Turkey’s dispute with Greece over maritime borders.
To impose sanctions
The European Union is scheduled to discuss next week the issue of imposing sanctions on Turkey in response to its dispatch of exploration ships and warships to areas in the eastern Mediterranean claimed by Greece and Cyprus.
The conflict also escalated after Turkey sent ships to scout for oil in the Mediterranean, while France last month sent warships to the region to aid Greek warships that were sent off the Turks in the waters in dispute.
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