Egypt concerned by Turkey oil exploration in Mediterranean

A helicopter lands on a frigate deck during ‘Blue Homeland 2019’ naval drill in Antalya, Turkey on February 27, 2019. [Mustafa Çiftçi – Anadolu Agency]

The Egyptian foreign ministry on Tuesday expressed concern over Turkey’s plans to explore for oil off the coast of Cyprus in the Mediterranean.

In a statement, the ministry described the Turkish action “as determination to continue to take unilateral actions that would increase tension in the Eastern Mediterranean region”, stressing on the need “not to escalate the situation and respect international law”.

Earlier in May, the ministry warning Turkey not to take unilateral action with regards to drilling activities in the maritime area of western Cyprus.

At the time, the foreign ministry said that Turkey’s actions – without the agreement of neighbouring countries – could impact the region’s security and stability.

READ: Turkey says second ship set to drill off Cyprus

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