Erdogan in defiant mood following EU sanctions

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan struck a defiant tone on Wednesday, saying Turkey will not be deterred from its goals in an apparent dig at the recent sanctions announced by the European Union over his country's drilling activities off the coast of Cyprus as well as those under discussion in the US over Ankara's purchase of Russian-made S-400 weapons systems.

"No threat of sanctions, either covert or overt, can deter Turkey from her just cause," he said in a statement marking the 96th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Lausanne, which he said was the founding document of the Republic of Turkey.

He added that Turkey's recent steps to drill for natural resources in the Eastern Mediterranean and its counterterrorism operations in northern Syria are a clear demonstration of its determination to protect its rights and those of Turkish Cypriots.

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