The European Commission called for dialogue with Turkey, and asked it to refrain from any unilateral steps that might fuel tension in the eastern Mediterranean, and a European Commission spokesman warned against imposing sanctions on Turkey if dialogue with it did not bear fruit.
These statements came days after the meeting of European Union foreign ministers in Berlin, where tensions were discussed between Greece and Turkey against the background of the conflict in the Eastern Mediterranean.
In the speech of the French Foreign Secretary Jean-Yves Le Drian and Germany Heiko Maas in Paris during a meeting with Paris' ambassadors to European countries, Le Drian said, "The European Union is ready for dialogue, and if strong condemnation and sanctions are necessary against Turkey, the Union will do so."
"We have mobilized all diplomatic means to create the conditions for a more constructive dialogue with Ankara, as Germany and France agree on this matter," he added.
In turn, Maas said that the European Union countries would protect the sovereignty of Greece and Cyprus, the two members of the Union, adding, "We can only get out of this critical situation through dialogue."
In the same context, Maas expressed his support for the dialogue process between the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.
Legal solution
For his part, Turkish Justice and Development Party spokesman Omar Celik confirmed in tweets on Twitter that "Turkey is the most trustworthy party if Greece wants to solve the crisis through legal means."
"Greece will see the extent of the mistake it is making if it prefers to participate in military maneuvers with France instead of negotiating with Turkey," said Celik, and that "Greece will know that Turkey has a strong response to every step it takes."
Glick stressed in his tweet that Greece "is the one that obstructs diplomacy by concluding illegal agreements, and avoiding solving problems through diplomatic means and on legal grounds."
He pointed out that Greece’s arming the island of Mays is the latest step that is considered an example of piracy by Athens, considering that “directing weapons to the Turkish coasts is not rational.”
Glek stressed that Greece has become a "representative of the piracy policies in both the Aegean and the Mediterranean through the illegal steps it is taking," as he put it.
In a statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry rejected the statements of French President Emmanuel Macron, in which he said that his country "has drawn red lines in the face of Turkish activities in the eastern Mediterranean."
The Foreign Ministry spokesman said that Ankara "will face with a firm stand those who think they are drawing red lines against its just causes."
He added that Turkey is "able to deter those who try by force to prejudice its interests," and that the conflicts in the eastern Mediterranean "will not be resolved through instigation of countries outside the region."