Cavusoglu threatens clash over any extension of Greek territorial waters

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has unleashed new threats against Greece regarding Athens’ right under international law to extend its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles.

“Shall we resolve this issue with Greece through diplomacy or shall we go to court? For us, there is yet another option, allowing the threat of a Greek-Turkish clash to linger,” he said.

Cavusoglu said that Greek-Turkish exploratory talks started under Bulent Ecevit, before his AKP party came to power. “Why did they start? They started in an effort to resolve problems with Greece regarding the continental shelf and territorial waters,” he said.

He also said that Ankara intends to submit the issue to the UN Security Council, as if it were Greece and not Turkey that is violating international law.

In briefing the Turkish Parliament’s Budget Committee, Cavusoglu said that as regards the Aegean, opposition parties have been briefed appropriately.

“Until the Imia crisis of 1996, whatever happened happened. After that, no government has assumed responsibility on this issue,” he said, noting it is a sensitive issue not suitable for political exploitation.

Cavusoglu also trained his fire on Cyprus, as he declared that the Turkish government did not in the past and will not from now on adopt a policy of giving something in order to save Cyprus.

“What had we said at Crans Montana [settlement talks]? We said that those who say zero guarantees should wake up from their dream. We are pursuing this with the TRNC [occupation regime]. We never had such a policy nor we ever,” he concluded.