Cyprus–Turkey maritime zones dispute

Blasting a Greek move on its maritime territory as "provocative," Turkey on Sept. 20 issued a counter naval alert for its continental shelf area in the Aegean.

Turkey will persevere its rights in the eastern Mediterranean and will continue its exploration activities for the hydrocarbon resources in the area, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on July 2.

Turkey announced a new NAVTEX in the Aegean Sea's international waters in retaliation for Greece's recent NAVTEX announcement that violated the two countries' bilateral agreements.

«As two neighbors, we are destined to live in the same geography. Therefore, we should define our relationship with cooperation rather than conflict. It is in our hands to determine our destiny and the way forward,» Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu declared on the eve of his talks today with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias.

A provocative attempt by Greece of allowing a French research vessel accompanied by a Greek frigate to conduct scientific studies in the Turkish continental shelf was foiled by the Turkish navy last week.

It is a very important development that Egypt has made a tender on hydrocarbon exploration in the eastern Mediterranean respecting Turkey's continental shelf limits, the Turkish national defense minister said on March 6.

Greece & Egypt signed a deal in August 2020 after they along with France, the UAE & Cyprus condemned Turkey’s provocative actions at sea in May

Greece is legally bound by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and EU law - the bloc has signed and ratified UNCLOS - in any talks with Turkey on the delimitation of maritime zones, Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said Friday.

Turkey's relations with Russia are not an alternative to its ties with NATO and the European Union, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told a joint news conference with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Russia on Tuesday.

The United Kingdom has announced the extension of sanctions on persons involved in illegal drilling in the Eastern Mediterranean, namely in Cyprus, beyond December 31, when the transitional period for the UK's formal exit from the European Union expires.