Turkey says 5-way E.Mediterranean meeting unrealistic

By Erdogan Cagatay Zontur

ANKARA (AA) - Ankara denounced a recent meeting on Thursday held between Greece, France, the Greek Cypriot administration, Egypt and Italy against a recent maritime delimitation deal between Turkey and Libya.

In its own official statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said declarations following the five-way meeting on Wednesday about the Eastern Mediterranean region were based on unrealistic arguments.

It underlined that memorandums of understanding signed between Turkey and Libya's UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) were legitimate and abided by international law.

On Jan. 2, the Turkish parliament ratified a motion authorizing the government to send troops to Libya following deals on military cooperation and maritime boundaries in the Eastern Mediterranean that were struck between Ankara and the GNA on Nov. 27.

The agreements were a response to attempts to sideline Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) in the Eastern Mediterranean, the ministry said, adding that the five-party meeting's statements revealed the merit of Turkey's steps in the region.

It further underlined that Ankara had a say in projects that involved it, as it possessed the longest coastline in the Mediterranean, and that it was prepared to cooperate with all countries in the region except the Greek Cypriot administration.