Addressing AK Party’s provincial heads, President Erdoğan said: "The key to resolution in the Eastern Mediterranean is dialogue and negotiations. If acted with commonsense and wisdom, it is possible to find a formula on the win-win basis which protects everyone’s rights."

Drawing attention to the busy schedule he had throughout July, Erdoğan pointed out that the sixth summit meeting in the Astana format had taken place via videoconference with the participation of President Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Hassan Rouhani of Iran, and that he, thereafter, had paid a one-day visit to Qatar to discuss regional issues and bilateral relations.

Erdoğan said: "In the meantime, I had telephone conversations with many leaders including Merkel, Trump, Putin and Aliyev. Today as well, I will speak with Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and President of the European Council Charles Michel."

"Turkey will continue to stand with the people of Lebanon"

Noting that Turkey has mobilized the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), the Turkish Red Crescent and the Ministry of Health in the aftermath of the explosion at the Port of Beirut which caused great destruction, Erdoğan said: "Vice President Fuat Oktay and Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, accompanied by a large team, paid a visit to Beirut and held talks with officials there."

"Our NGOs also flew to Beirut to establish the needs on site. The Ministry of Health delivered medical supplies and TİKA sent 400 tons of grain there," Erdoğan said.

"We went to Lebanon not to pose and play for the cameras like some others but to honor our eternal brotherhood. The Lebanese authorities and the people of Lebanon reciprocated our efforts and kindly welcomed our delegation. All Lebanese people of different religions, sections and ethnic groups ardently embraced the Turkish delegation. Turkey will continue to stand with the people of Lebanon without making any discrimination or pursuing any interests," Erdoğan said.

"Turkey has conducted all its affairs in eastern Mediterranean so far on the basis of legitimacy"

"Turkey’s more active and determined stance in foreign policy has unsettled some people," Erdoğan underscored. "Those who try to drag our region to infighting, are unsettled by Turkey’s pro-justice and pro-peace policies," Erdoğan noted. "Turkey’s steps to secure its rights and interests in the Eastern Mediterranean have become a litmus test both in domestic and foreign policy."

Underlining that all 83 million citizens of Turkey strongly supports the state’s steps taken in line with the international law, Erdoğan said: "Turkey has conducted all its affairs in Eastern Mediterranean so far on the basis of legitimacy and in line with the memoranda of understanding with Libya. It is not Turkey that escalates tension in the Mediterranean but the Greek Cypriot-Greek mentality that tries to disregard Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus."

Initiatives and agreements that exclude Turkey or the Turkish Cypriots have no chance of success

"Since 2003, the Greek side has been seeing the Island as its domain and granting concession licenses for oil/natural gas exploration in the Island's maritime jurisdiction areas over which it has no rights," Erdoğan further stressed, and added: "Some of the so-called license zones of the Greek side clearly overlaps with Turkey's continental shelf. Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration are trying to usurp the Turkish Cypriots' rights over the hydrocarbon resources in the region. These lawless steps also aim to confine our country, which has the longest coastline along the Mediterranean, to the Gulf of Antalya. All these moves aim to encircle Turkey from the sea."

Drawing attention to what he called as the wrong steps recently taken by Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration, Erdoğan went on to say: "We as Turkey have so far sought resolution to our issues with Greece in diplomacy and at the negotiation table. We have acted with a mentality that takes our neighborhood relations into consideration, although this at times has been left unreturned. I would hereby like to underline that we do not have an eye on anyone’s rights, but we will also not allow any country to infringe our rights. Initiatives and agreements, which exclude Turkey or the Turkish Cypriots, and which violate justice, have no chance of success."

"The attitude displayed by Greece in the Aegean and the Mediterranean is malevolent"

Pointing out that the activities which Oruç Reis vessel has begun on Monday are within the continental shelf boundaries that Turkey has notified the United Nations of, Erdoğan added: "The attitude displayed by Greece in the Aegean and the Mediterranean, on the other hand, is malevolent. It cannot be explained through logic or commonsense to demand maritime jurisdiction areas over the Meis Island, which is two kilometers away from the Turkish coastline and 580 kilometers from the Greek mainland. It is both ridiculous and groundless in terms of international law to claim that an island of 10 square kilometers has a maritime area of 40 thousand square kilometers. I hereby call on Greece to respect Turkey’s rights. The key to resolution in the Eastern Mediterranean is dialogue and negotiations. If acted with commonsense and wisdom, it is possible to find a formula on the win-win basis which protects everyone’s rights. We by no means pursue unnecessary adventures or tension. We only seek justice and fairness. We expect all our interlocutors to respect the rights of our country and the Turkish Cypriots."

Erdoğan went on to say: "However, those attacking our kinsmen, our brothers and sisters in Western Thrace should know that they will be held to account both through the international law and other methods. I hereby also warn the EU. Is this country, which is an EU member, fulfilling its responsibility to protect the rights of the minorities as per the EU law? The EU administration should hold the Greek administration accountable for this. I will also raise this issue with the two politicians with whom I will speak today. We only seek justice and fairness. It is our duty to protect the rights of our kinsmen." (ILKHA)