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Erdogan to Greece: Turkey Has Political, Military Power to 'Tear Up Immoral Maps' in Mediterranean

© REUTERS / John MacDougall/Pool(File) A Turkish coast guard ship patrols in the Aegean Sea, off the Turkish coast, April 20, 2016.
(File) A Turkish coast guard ship patrols in the Aegean Sea, off the Turkish coast, April 20, 2016.  - Sputnik International
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Tensions between the two states escalated after Turkey initiated seismic surveys for energy resources in the disputed waters near Cyprus. Both the Greek and Turkish militaries have been mobilised over the recent row sparking fears of an armed conflict.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has cautioned Greece against turning down the idea of conducting talks on the ongoing eastern Mediterranean dispute, promising that otherwise, Athens will witness Ankara's determination to protect its interests in the region.

"They're either going to understand the language of politics and diplomacy, or in the field with painful experiences", he said.

Erdogan went on to assure that Turkey possesses sufficient "political, economic, and military power" to "tear up the immoral maps and documents imposed" on the country, in an apparent reference to the lack of international recognition of its claims to patches of water off the Cypriot coast.

Turkey Accuses Athens of 'Lying' About Botched Talks

The president's comments come in the wake of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu accusing Greece of "lying", when it said it never agreed to technical talks with Turkey on the Mediterranean issue, which had been earlier announced by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. He claimed that Athens initially agreed to take part in these talks organised by the NATO chief, but later backtracked on their position. Greek officials said they would agree to negotiations with Turkey only if the country withdraws all of its military vessels from the disputed waters.

© REUTERS / Murad SezerTurkish seismic research vessel Oruc Reis is seen in Istanbul, Turkey, August 22, 2019. Picture taken August 22, 2019
Erdogan to Greece: Turkey Has Political, Military Power to 'Tear Up Immoral Maps' in Mediterranean - Sputnik International
Turkish seismic research vessel Oruc Reis is seen in Istanbul, Turkey, August 22, 2019. Picture taken August 22, 2019

Stoltenberg's effort was supposed to help tone down tensions in the eastern Mediterranean near Cyprus, where both countries deployed their military in the region amid an escalating row over potential resource deposits. Ankara claims to have exclusive economic zone rights to parts of the offshore waters of Cyprus based on its agreement with the unrecognised Republic of Northern Cyprus. Athens, however, doesn't recognise these claims, with most EU countries backing their bloc member in the dispute.

In this Thursday, June 20, 2019 file photo, Turkey's 230-meter (750-foot) drillship 'Yavuz' escorted by a Turkish Navy vessel, crosses the Marmara Sea on its way to the Mediterranean, from the port of Dilovasi, outside Istanbul - Sputnik International
Turkey's Foreign Minister Accuses Greece of Lying About Botched Eastern Mediterranean Talks

Turkey has repeatedly called on Greece to resolve the territorial dispute at the negotiating table to avoid the possibility of bloodshed and cautioned European states, specifically France, against meddling in what it sees as a bilateral issue. These calls, however, have had little effect as the countries have failed to agree on holding talks. At the same time, the nations' respective air forces have reported intercepting each other's jets since the renewal of the dispute in July 2020, further intensifying concerns that the standoff might escalate into an armed conflict.

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