Turkey says rejects French statement on drilling activities in the East Mediterranean

The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs late Monday rejected a statement made by the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, which referred to Turkey's drilling activities "in its own continental shelf" in the Eastern Mediterranean as "concerning", and said such statements were unacceptable.

"In this respect, our press releases dated 4 May 2019, No: 124 and dated 6 May 2019, No: 128 are valid for France as well," the ministry said, pointing to the previous statement in which it also rejected remarks by High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, regarding Turkey's hydrocarbon exploration activities in the Eastern Mediterranean.

"We express grave concern over Turkey's announced intention to carry out drilling activities within the exclusive economic zone of Cyprus," Mogherini had said, calling on Turkey "to show restraint" and end its "continued illegal actions."

The ministry had blasted Mogherini's statement, saying that "Turkey's hydrocarbon related activities in the Eastern Mediterranean region are based on its legitimate rights stemming from international law."

"As we previously stressed on many occasions, having the longest coastal line in the region, we will protect our own rights and interests within our continental shelf, as well as those of the Turkish Cypriots around the Cyprus Island. To date Turkey has not refrained from taking the necessary steps in this context, and will not do so in the future," it said.

The ministry underscored that the country's energy diplomacy was not conducted on the basis of commercial interests, reiterating that Turkey "advocates the role of energy as a source of peace rather than as a source of conflict."

"Turkey knows that natural resources can play an important role in increasing peace and stability," it noted.

However, it added that Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus cannot be excluded from the energy equation in the region.

Turkey, as one of the guarantor powers on the island of Cyprus, along with Greece and the U.K. has consistently contested the Greek Cypriot administration's unilateral drilling in the Eastern Mediterranean while asserting that Turkish Cypriots also have rights to the resources in the area.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when a Greek Cypriot coup was followed by violence against the island's Turks and Ankara's intervention as a guarantor power.

The island has seen an on-and-off peace process in recent years, including the collapse of a 2017 initiative in Switzerland under the auspices of the guarantor countries.