US State Department urges restraint in Eastern Med

As Turkey insisted again on Wednesday that it will protect what it describes as its interests in the sea area off the coast of Cyprus, a US State Department spokesperson has been quoted as saying that Washington "discourages any actions or rhetoric that increase tensions in the region."

"The US policy on Cyprus's exclusive economic zone is long-standing and has not changed: The United States recognizes the right of the Republic of Cyprus to develop its resources in its EEZ," the spokesperson was cited as saying in response to a question from the Hellas Journal website.

The American official reportedly added that Washington continues to believe that Cyprus's natural resources must be shared by the Greek- and Turkish-Cypriot communities as part of a final agreement to reunify the island.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu warned on Wednesday that Ankara...