In his first public response to the approval of the Greek Marine Spatial Plan, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakcan Fidan revealed that Turkey’s counterpart to the Marine Spatial Plan has already been finalized and will be presented to UN agencies. He cautioned that Turkey “will not permit any unilateral actions or fait accompli in Cyprus, the Aegean, and the Eastern Mediterranean,” affirming that it “will vigorously defend its rights and interests in the region.”
Fidan’s remarks addressed the criticisms directed at President Tayyip Erdogan and the Turkish government from opposition factions, who argue that they are neglecting exploration and drilling efforts in the Eastern Mediterranean. This criticism was further fueled by the recognition of the Republic of Cyprus by Central Asian countries within the Organization of Turkic States, undermining Ankara’s attempts to elevate the international standing of the self-proclaimed state.
During a press conference alongside Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Eide, who previously served as the UN envoy for the Cyprus issue during the Crans Montana talks, Fidan provided a brief overview, stating that Turkey had registered its continental shelf limits with the UN in 2020 and had conducted seismic surveys and drilling operations within its designated “continental shelf” in the Eastern Mediterranean.
He attributed the lack of exploration and drilling activity in the Eastern Mediterranean to prioritization of technical efforts in the Black Sea and the Sakarya field, which is known to contain significant hydrocarbon reserves.
Regarding the Turkish government’s response to the recognition of the Republic of Cyprus by member states in the Organization of Turkic States, Fidan stated there would be no public debate on the matter, expressing a preference not to “air family matters publicly.” He emphasized that “manipulative efforts by those aiming to disrupt our relations with the Turkish world” would ultimately be unsuccessful.
On the topic of Cyprus, he reiterated, particularly in light of Eide’s presence (notably recognized for his biased stance during the Crans-Montana talks), that Turkey considers the federation issue resolved and views a solution based on two separate states as the only viable option. He further claimed that the United Nations had refrained from mentioning a federation solution during the recent Five-Party Conference in Geneva, leading to decisions aimed at enhancing communication between the “two states” on the island.
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