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Turkey announced today, Saturday, that it is carrying out new maneuvers in the eastern Mediterranean, and stressed that it will not take long to protect its interests, saying that France and Greece know this.
Turkey indicated that it would conduct a military exercise off northwestern Cyprus over the next two weeks, amid mounting tension with Greece over disputes over oil and gas exploration rights in the eastern Mediterranean.
In a tweet on Twitter, the Turkish Defense Ministry said that in addition to the exercises that were carried out 3 times in the eastern Mediterranean with the ships of the allied countries in the last 48 hours, today joint naval exercises were carried out with Italy in the south. from the island of Cyprus.
The conflict between Turkey and Greece, members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), broke out after the two sides concluded two conflicting agreements regarding their maritime borders with Libya and Egypt.
Tensions rose after Turkey sent an inspection boat into the disputed waters this month.
The two sides carried out military exercises in the eastern Mediterranean, highlighting the possibility of escalating the dispute over the extension of the continental shelf in an armed confrontation.
Protest and disobedience
On Friday, the Turkish Defense Ministry announced that its air force had intercepted 6 Greek F-16 fighter jets and removed them from the Turkish Naftex reporting area in the eastern Mediterranean.
The ministry said in a statement that Turkish Air Force radar systems revealed on Thursday that 6 F-16 fighter jets had taken off from Crete and were heading to the Greek Administration from Cyprus.
It confirmed that Turkish F-16 fighter jets intercepted the planes in the southwest of the island of Cyprus, after they approached an area in which Ankara had previously announced the NAFTEX notification.
He stressed that the Turkish Navy and Air Force continue to work with unlimited determination to protect their rights and interests in the eastern Mediterranean. The Defense Ministry also attached a video clip to intercept its Greek fighter jets and remove them from the region.
Not retreat
On Saturday, Turkish Vice President Fuad Oktay said: “We do not hesitate to protect our rights and interests and most of those who know Greece and France know this.”
The Turkish vice president said that Greece wants to expand its territorial waters and asked: If this is not a reason for war, what will it be?
“Our nation does not value anything when it comes to its independence and freedom, and does not hesitate to pay any price for its preservation … We assure Europe that Turkey will not renounce its rights in the eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea,” added.
He stressed that no one should expect Turkey to step back and called on the European Union to show justice.
This statement came hours after French President Emmanuel Macron said that he had taken a tough stance this summer on Turkey’s actions in the eastern Mediterranean, and that he had set red lines ahead, “because Ankara respects the actions, not words. “
“When it comes to sovereignty in the eastern Mediterranean region, my words must be consistent with actions. I can tell you that the Turks do not understand and respect anything other than … What France did this summer was important, it is a policy related to the establishment of a red line, “added the French president. I applied it in Syria. “
France shows strong support for Greece and takes clear positions against Turkey’s policies in Libya.
Call to calm down
Amid the continuing escalation, fears of war are emerging in the eastern Mediterranean, while regional and international bodies call for calm and urge Athens and Ankara to engage in dialogue to resolve the crisis.
On Friday, the United Nations urged Turkey and Greece to continue dialogue to resolve their differences peacefully, after Athens continued to take unilateral measures in the eastern Mediterranean region.
The Secretary General’s spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, told reporters at the United Nations headquarters in New York that the United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, is following with great concern the escalation of tension in the last two days between Turkey and Greece, and it is important to resolve the differences between the two countries peacefully.
“What we understand is that Turkey and Greece were, until recently, engaged in bilateral consultations, and we urge the parties to continue that dialogue,” he added.
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