'Turkey won't tolerate piracy in Aegean, Med regions'

By Ali Murat Alhas

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey will not tolerate illegal actions in the Aegean and Mediterranean regions, said the nation’s president on Monday.

"Turkey won't allow piracy or banditry in the Mediterranean and Aegean regions," Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in the Black Sea province of Giresun at an event marking the start of the fishing season.

Erdogan said Turkey would not be confined to its shores, as it is the country with the longest coastline in the Mediterranean region.

He spoke against the backdrop of recent disputes with Greece over maritime boundaries, especially concerning energy exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Greece has attempted to illegally restrict Turkey’s maritime territory, trying to box it in to its shores based on small Greek islands near the Turkish coast.

Turkey has argued the sides should sit down for dialogue to reach a win-win solution based on fair sharing.

Greece has recently carried out military drills meant to intimidate Turkey into stopping energy exploration, as well as illegally armed Aegean islands, in violation of longstanding peace treaties.