Greek PM Alexis Tsipras responded to statements made by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu that Turkey would take its measures after the official launch of oil drilling operations in the Cypriot Exclusive Economic Zone on Wednesday. Mr. Tsipras said Greece was ready to defend the territorial sovereignty of Cyprus during a joint press conference with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Athens, Thursday. “An effective dog is not the one that barks, but one that is a good guard dog does not need to bark”, he said. Mr. Tsipras went on to say that Greece did not use big words, nor did it bark a lot, but that he believed the country was effectively defending its sovereign rights. “Greece has been and will remain a key pillar of stability in the region, and now that it is recovering from a long-term economic crisis and regaining lost ground it is emerging as a valuable country for peace and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Balkans. A country that is a valuable partner of the European Union, a country valuable to NATO, because of its special relations with critical countries in the wider region”, Mr. Tsipras said. Commenting on the results of the peace talks in Switzerland on the Cypriot issue the Greek PM said they proved that Greece was dealing with a neighbour that did not respect international law and the rights deriving from it. “An effective dog is not the one that barks, but one that is a good guard dog does not need to bark”, he said. Mr. Tsipras went on to say that Greece did not use big words, nor did it bark a lot, but that he believed the country was effectively defending its sovereign rights. “Greece has been and will remain a key pillar of stability in the region, and now that it is recovering from a long-term economic crisis and regaining lost ground it is emerging as a valuable country for peace and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Balkans. A country that is a valuable partner of the European Union, a country valuable to NATO, because of its special relations with critical countries in the wider region”, Mr. Tsipras said.