Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said France has no right to speak on affairs regarding Cyprus, pro-government newspaper Daily Sabah reported on Sunday.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday called on Turkey to halt what he said “illegal activities” in Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in relation to ongoing tensions in the eastern Mediterranean.
“Those who have the right to speak about the Eastern Mediterranean can speak. When did France have the right to speak on the Eastern Mediterranean? Do they have coast in the Eastern Mediterranean?” Erdoğan told journalists during his return from Tajikistan where he attended the 5th Summit of the Heads of State of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia.
Amidst escalating tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean over hydrocarbon resources, the Greek Cypriot authorities on June 10 issued arrest warrants for 25 people including crew assisting the Turkish drilling vessel Fatih and officials at firms partnered with the state-run Turkish Petroleum Corporation.
