After strict reprimands from the European Union and the USA Turkey withdrew the exploration vessel, Oruc Reis, from the Greek continental shelf in the eastern Mediterranean.
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| Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis |
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| EU Council President, Charles Michel |
"Turkey still has the time, ahead and after the EU summit, to continue disengaging itself from the crisis", Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, said after talks with EU Council President, Charles Michel, in Athens, referring to the European Union Summit which shall take place on .24th and 25th of September. "If we have tangible proof, and this proof is continuing, we are ready to start immediately, I stress that immediately, exploratory talks with Tuckey, regarding the only major dispute: the demarcation of the maritime zones in the Aegean and the eastern Mediterranean", he said.
Despite calling Oruc Reise back to port, Turkey still has a drilling ship and a service survey vessel operating in Cypriot waters, and Cyprus is demanding EU sanctions on Ankara, Prime Minister Mitsotakis called for European solidarity on the issue.
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| Secretary of State Mike Pompeo |
US Secretary, Mike Pompeo, visited the Greek Cypriot government and called on Turkey to cease aggressive activities that cause tension in the eastern Mediterranean, "We remain deeply concerned about Turkey's ongoing operations surveying for natural resources over which Greece and Cyprus have jurisdiction over the eastern Mediterranean" Pompeo told reporters in Nicosia, after meeting with the Greek Cypriot leader, Nikos Anastasiades, and the foreign minister. Nikos Christodoulakis.
I sincerely hope that Greek-Turkish relations will considerably improve in the near future although I have worrying doubts due to the Turkish instability.
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