Any activity in Turkish continental shelf needs permit

By Sena Guler

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey will not allow any activities within its continental shelf without permission granted, the foreign minister said on Wednesday.

“Within our continental shelf, no one can conduct activity without our permission, if it happens, we will prevent it,” Mevlut Cavusoglu told local news channel A Haber in a televised interview.

On Nov. 27, Turkey and Libya’s UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) seated in Tripoli signed a bilateral memorandum.

The memorandum asserts Turkey’s rights in the Eastern Mediterranean in the face of unilateral drilling by the Greek Cypriot administration, clarifying that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) also has rights to the resources in the area.

Turning to possible sanctions by the U.S. against Turkey, Cavusoglu ruled out imposition as a means to achieve a goal.

“The U.S. Congress members should understand that they cannot achieve anything by imposition,” he warned.

He also warned that in case of U.S. sanctions, the Incirlik Air Base and Kurecik Radar Station, where U.S. soldiers are stationed, in Turkey would come into question.

Turkey has rebuffed suggestions from U.S. leaders that it leaves the Russian S-400 system unactivated in order to avoid possible U.S. sanctions.

The S-400 is seen as one of the most advanced missile systems in the world, capable of tracking several targets simultaneously.