President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump on regional developments and tensions in Eastern Mediterranean, the Turkish Directorate of Communications said on Thursday, media reports.
Erdoğan reminded Trump that Turkey is not the party creating instability in the Eastern Mediterranean. He stressed that Turkey proved with “concrete actions” that it wants to reduce tensions and establish dialogue on the matter.
On Wednesday Erdoğan said during a commemoration ceremony that Turkey would take whatever they are entitled to in the Mediterranean, Aegean and Black seas. “We will not make any concessions,” he said.
The president noted that the same way Turkey does not set its eyes on other countries’ territory, sovereignty, or interests, it expects others to do the same for Turkey.
Meanwhile, Turkish and U.S. navies held a maritime exercise in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Turkish Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.
“Turkish navy continues maritime training with allied navies. Turkish frigate TCG Barbaros and TCG Burgazada corvette have conducted maritime training with American destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill in the Eastern Mediterranean on Aug. 26, 2020,” the ministry tweeted.
The drill comes as the tensions mount in the Eastern Mediterranean between Turkey and Greece over energy explorations.
Turkish research vessel Oruc Reis is carrying out seismic research escorted by Turkish warships in the region, while Greece disputes Turkey’s energy exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean.
