EU warns Turkey over oil drilling in Cypriot waters
EU leaders warned Turkey on Thursday to respect the sovereign rights of Cyprus amid a growing dispute over a Turkish oil drilling ship that entered Cypriot territory in the eastern Mediterranean, Politico.eu reported.
Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades briefed fellow EU leaders on the issue at a summit in Romania, the source said.
The European Union stands united behind the Republic of Cyprus and expects Turkey to respect sovereign rights of the EU member states. The European Council will continue to follow these developments closely," Council President Donald Tusk said at the summit's closing news conference.
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said he stands firmly behind Cyprus and urged Turkey to refrain from provocations.
"We had the chance together with President Anastasiades to highlight as a core issue of today's summit the illegal actions of Turkey within Cyprus' exclusive economic zone," Tsipras said. "I completely supported the position of the president of Cyprus, who asked for this issue to be confronted as a European issue and I pointed out that the European Union has a special geopolitical and energy interest in the area of eastern Mediterranean."