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Greece and the island of Cyprus are at the forefront of the dispute with Turkey, which claims the right to exploit hydrocarbon deposits in a maritime area over which Athens believes belongs to its sovereignty.
The August 10 dispatch of a Turkish seismic survey vessel, Oruc Reis, into the waters claimed by Athens triggered an escalation of tensions.
The ship returned to port for routine work, according to Ankara. But another Turkish ship, the Yavuz, continues to ring in the eastern Mediterranean, despite international protests.
The crisis in the Eastern Mediterranean is on the agenda of the European summit on September 24 and 25 in Brussels, with the threat of sanctions against Turkey.
“The EU stands in solidarity with Cyprus, which is facing a serious situation. That is why we have decided to convene a summit on relations with Turkey,” Charles Michel told reporters after a meeting with President Nicos Anastasiades.
“We need to be firm when it comes to defending the rights of all EU member states, including Cyprus,” he said.
Earlier, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, warned Turkey against any attempt to “intimidate” its neighbors in the Eastern Mediterranean dispute.
Nicos Anastasiades recalled an “extremely worrying” period, accusing Turkey of continuing to violate Cyprus’ maritime areas with “illegal” drilling.
In his opinion, the EU must be ready to act to defend the rights of its members.
Cyprus is divided after the invasion of its northern third by the Turkish army in 1974, following a coup aimed at annexing the island to Greece. The Republic of Cyprus only exercises authority over two-thirds of its territory, while the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (RTCN) is only recognized by Turkey.
