Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu stated that they, as Turkey, continue to do whatever is necessary on the ground and at the table to protect the legitimate rights and interests of Turkey and the TRNC in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Speaking at the General Assembly of the Turkish Grand National Assembly 2022 budgetary discussions, Çavuşoğlu also touched upon the Cyprus issue and the Eastern Mediterranean.
Çavuşoğlu said “This year, Greece and the Greek Cypriot side tried to send 3rd country flagged research ships to our continental shelf 6 times, and each time we prevented them thanks to our contact with the relevant countries and the presence of our soldiers in the field, namely our armed forces.”
Stating that a solution in Cyprus will only be possible with the registration of the existence of the TRNC and the vested rights of the Turkish Cypriots, Çavuşoğlu noted that there is no need to make futile efforts by repeating tried formulas, and that the sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriot people must be recognized before a new negotiations process can begin.
Referring to the developments in the Eastern Mediterranean, Çavuşoğlu said that America and Qatar will not enter the Turkish continental shelf without their permission.
