The regional alliance between Greece, the Greek Cypriot administration, France, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt, are once again trying to escalate tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean with a new provocative move, Turkey's Defense Ministry said Sunday in a weekly briefing.
According to the briefing, the regional alliance, based on hostility towards Turkey, agreed on a new joint military drill in the region. The ministry noted that the alliance has conducted successive military drills in the region to provoke Turkey since August.
The planned new drill will be launched offshore Egypt on Nov. 30 and will last until Dec. 6 with the participation of the naval and air forces of the five countries.
The ministry's statement reiterated that Turkey has always supported a solution based on peace, dialogue, good neighborly relations and tackling existing problems with the spirit of alliance.
It added that the latest provocative move once again reveals who opposes peace and dialogue.
Turkey, which has the longest continental coastline in the Eastern Mediterranean, has rejected maritime boundary claims by Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration in the region and stressed that these excessive claims violate the sovereign rights of Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots.
Ankara has sent several drillships and seismic research vessels in recent weeks to explore hydrocarbon energy on its continental shelf, asserting its rights in the region, as well as those of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
Turkish leaders have repeatedly stressed that Ankara is in favor of resolving outstanding problems in the region through international law, good neighborly relations, dialogue and negotiation.
