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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan asked Greece not to “waste once again” the opportunity for dialogue, with the two countries taking sides to defuse the crisis between them in the eastern Mediterranean.
During a video interview with the president of the European Commission, Ossula von der Leyen, the Turkish president expressed his hope that “Greece will not again squander the opportunity given to diplomacy,” according to the Turkish presidency.
On Tuesday, Ankara and Athens announced the resumption of bilateral negotiations soon, after weeks of tension in the eastern Mediterranean as the two countries dispute areas that are likely to be rich in gas resources.
The Turkish president considered that the “tough” demands of Greece and Cyprus and the “desire to ignore the rights of Turkey and Turkish Cypriots” represent the root of the crisis in the Mediterranean.
On the other hand, Erdogan, whose country receives about four million refugees, mainly Syrians, called on Europe to share “the burdens and responsibilities fairly” with regard to immigrants.
The Turkish president also spoke about complaints about the “forced return” of asylum seekers from Greece and the need for the European Union to investigate these complaints, according to the Turkish presidency.
For his part, Ossula von Dar Leyen said in a tweet that his conversation with the Turkish president about “developments in the eastern Mediterranean and immigration” was “very helpful.”
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