Aksoy: ‘Turkey will continue resolutely to protect the rights of the Turkish Cypriots’

Turkey's ongoing survey and drilling activities off Cyprus aim at protecting the rights of Turkish Cypriots, a foreign ministry spokesman said Thursday, adding that "until these rights are guaranteed, Turkish Petroleum will continue to operate" in the areas licensed by the breakaway state.
"These rights can only be guaranteed either by jointly suspending all off-shore activities in the south of the island until a comprehensive settlement is reached in Cyprus, or by launching a cooperation mechanism by the Greek Cypriots with the Turkish Cypriots in accordance with the 13 July 2019 proposal," Hami Aksoy said.
"Otherwise, Turkey will continue resolutely to protect the rights of the Turkish Cypriots," said Aksoy, while urging "all the EU members, especially Italy to abandon their attitudes which ignore the very presence of Turkish Cypriots and their rights."
The foreign...

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