US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that he will visit Cyprus tomorrow, Saturday, to seek a peaceful solution to end the growing tension in the eastern Mediterranean region.
Meanwhile, Turkey continues to conduct military maneuvers with the Turkish Cypriot forces, while Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu confirmed that his country welcomes the unconditional dialogue.
Pompeo said on Thursday that his visit to Cyprus came as a continuation of contacts made by US President Donald Trump with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
"(The conflict) must be resolved in a diplomatic and peaceful manner," Pompeo told reporters from his plane.
"So I will work on this matter, trying to make sure that I understand the dangers associated with it from the point of view of the Cypriots," he added, referring to Germany's role in seeking to reduce tension.
For its part, France plays a key role in the maritime conflict, as it firmly supports Greece and Cyprus against Turkey.
"We hope that there will be a real dialogue and that the military hardware will be withdrawn so that these talks can be held," Pompeo said.
Turkey - which is searching for gas and oil reserves in waters that Greece claims it is entitled to - deployed an exploratory ship last month supported by military frigates, and Greece responded by conducting naval military exercises, and France sent two military planes and ships in support of Greece against Turkey.
Cavusoglu: If Greece insists on preconditions, Turkey will set its conditions as well (Anatolia)
Pompeo's visit comes shortly after the United States lifted the decades-old arms embargo on Cyprus, which angered Turkey.
The US embargo was intended to bring stability to the divided island, but its critics have indicated that its effect has been counterproductive and pushed Cyprus to cooperate with other countries such as Russia.
The exercises continued
On the other hand, the Turkish Ministry of Defense published pictures of the joint "Mediterranean Storm 2020" maneuvers that it is conducting with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
The ministry stated in a statement yesterday, Thursday, that the Mediterranean Storm 2020 maneuvers are continuing with success.
The exercises were launched on September 6 in northern Cyprus, and are aimed at developing mutual training and cooperation between the forces of the two sides.
Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti'nde birleşik, müşterek ve fiili olarak icra edilen Şehit Yüzbaşı Cengiz Topel Akdeniz Fırtınası-2020 Tatbikatı başarımma devitterh ediyor # MSB #BETKpic.twitter
- TC Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) September 10, 2020
Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti'nde icra edilen Şehit Yüzbaşı Cengiz Topel Akdeniz Fırtınası-2020 Tatbikatı;
SAT-SAS harekâtları ile devam ediyor.https: //t.co/11lmfU8jCH#MSB #TSK pic.twitter.com/EXextRmR38
- TC Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) September 10, 2020
On Thursday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu criticized the European Union’s position on developments in the eastern Mediterranean, describing it as “unfair and inconsistent with international law.”
In his speech to the meeting of the Foreign Relations Committee of the European Parliament via video link, Cavusoglu pointed out that the current tension in the Eastern Mediterranean stems from “Greece and Cyprus' violation of the rights of Turkey and Turkish Cypriots through their unilateral behavior,” as he put it.
He pointed out that Ankara had given the opportunity to diplomacy through German mediation, but that the Greek administration undermined this process by signing an agreement with Egypt.
He stressed that his country is ready for dialogue without preconditions, and that if Greece insists on preconditions, Turkey will set its conditions as well.
He stressed that the warships escorting the Turkish exploration ship "Aruj Reis" had received definitive instructions from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to protect it, and that its mission is to stop Greek ships in the event that they harassed them, calling on Greece to avoid such attempts.
Yesterday, French President Emmanuel Macron urged Europe to show a unified and firm stance towards the "unacceptable" behavior of Turkey in the eastern Mediterranean.
Macron said - during the Southern European Summit in Corsica - that Turkey is no longer a partner in the Eastern Mediterranean, and threatened it with sanctions if it did not stop the "confrontation" policy, as he put it.
On the other hand, the Turkish Foreign Ministry responded to Macron's statements, describing them as insolent, and as indicating "an old colonial thought."