Erdogan: No threats can deter Turkey’s operations in Mediterranean

No threats can deter Turkey from seeking natural resources in the eastern Mediterranean, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday, adding that Ankara expects actors in the region to take steps to de-escalate tensions.

“Turkey is determined to seek its rights in the eastern Mediterranean until the end,” Erdogan said in a speech in Ankara. “No colonialist power or threat can deter our country from the oil and natural gas resources believed to be in the region,” he said, adding Ankara wanted to solve the dispute through dialogue and diplomacy, rather than escalate tensions.