Responding to Thursday’s signing of a maritime agreement between Greece and Egypt delineating the EEZ’s of each nation, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is reported to have told German Chancellor Angela Merkel that his nation would again recommence drilling in the Mediterranean.
When exiting Hagia Sophia after the Friday prayer service, Erdogan dismissed Thursday’s maritime pact as “worthless,” according to the Turkish national news agency Anadolu.
The Turkish leader had earlier responded with defiance to a call from the German leader imploring him to cease drilling activities. It is unclear exactly when the call had taken place.
“This agreement between Greece and Egypt has no dignity. Merkel asked me to stop drilling. We said, “If you trust Greece, we will stop working for a few weeks,” Erdogan is quoted as saying. “They did not keep their promises,” the Turkish president added.
The Newsit report stated that Erdogan summarily dismissed yesterday’s bilateral Greek-Egyptian maritime borders agreement, saying angrily on Friday, “What are Greece and Egypt doing there?”
The Turkish leader stated that his country would continue its agreement with Libya, adding “Especially in maritime jurisdiction, we do not even need to negotiate with those who do not have rights or laws.”
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