Turkey proved false France’s claims of potential harassment in opposition to its ships in the Eastern Mediterranean, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu stated in a press convention with European Union Minister for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell on Monday, calling on the nation to apologize to Turkey.
“The EU ought to aspect with the answer, not the battle in the Eastern Mediterranean,” he added.
A French official claimed lately that the Turkish Navy had harassed one in every of France’s warships collaborating in a NATO mission in the Mediterranean.
Already strained ties between NATO allies France and Turkey have worsened in current days following the declare, as the 2 sides exchanged accusations over the Libya battle and actions in the Eastern Mediterranean.
“I’m right here (in Turkey) to discover a resolution to the battle between Turkey and Greece over the Eastern Mediterranean. We (because the EU) plan to set up negotiation talks between the 2 sides,” Borrell additionally stated on the problem, referring to the disagreements between the 2 nations, particularly the Cyprus disaster.
The Cyprus drawback has remained unresolved for many years, regardless of a sequence of efforts by the United Nations, whereas current tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean have additional difficult the issue.
The island has been divided right into a Turkish Cypriot authorities in the north and the Greek Cypriot administration in the south since a 1974 navy coup aimed toward Cyprus’ annexation by Greece.
Turkey’s navy intervention as a guarantor energy in 1974 had stopped yearslong persecution and violence in opposition to Turkish Cypriots by ultra-nationalist Greek Cypriots.
Regarding the ties with the EU, Borrell make clear the union’s strategy to Turkey.
“EU plans to have a brand new settlement with Turkey and replace bilateral ties relating to all problematic topics, together with the refugee disaster, the disaster in Libya, Syria and the customs union,” he highlighted.
However, he then said that Greek Cypriots’ – that are a member of the EU – sensitivities on the problems also needs to be thought-about, inflicting Çavuşoğlu to react.
“The EU failed Turkey in the refugee disaster, now, you (Borrell) declare that you simply’ll do no matter it takes to clear up the disaster but in addition say that you simply want to take Greek Cypriots’ issues into consideration as effectively. What do Greek Cypriots have to do with the refugee disaster?” the international minister requested.
“If you retain pushing Greek Cypriots ahead on each different topic relating to bilateral ties, then we can even provide you with new circumstances to meet your requests,” he continued.
The international minister additional added that though he believes in EU’s good intentions towards Turkey, among the union’s members ought to be restrained for bilateral ties to enhance.
After the press convention, Çavuşoğlu gifted Borell a disinfectant named “BOREL,” a boron-based sanitizer produced by Turkey’s state-owned mining firm, Eti Maden, and the National Boron Research Institute (BOREN).
