Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a written statement pushing back against allegations circulating in public discourse regarding the country's policy on the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean. The Ministry firmly denied that any shift had occurred in Turkey's established positions.
According to the statement, claims that Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan had given an interview to a newspaper published in Greece are false. The Ministry argued that remarks made by Fidan at a think tank event in Brussels had been deliberately distorted and stripped of their context, turning them into fodder for political controversy.
The statement also appeared to reference publicly made remarks by a political party leader, without naming the individual directly. Reaffirming that Turkey's positions are defended consistently across all international platforms and in accordance with international law, the Ministry declared: "As we have done until now, we will continue to protect our legitimate rights and interests in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean without making any concessions."
Turkey's claims in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean have long been a source of tension with Greece and the Republic of Cyprus, among others. Ankara maintains that its stance in these regions is grounded in its own interpretation of international law.
