Turkey leveled new threats against the Republic of Cyprus, Wednesday regarding the island-nation’s rights to drill for gas and carbohydrates in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, who spoke during a joint press conference with the Prime Minister of the pseudo-state of Northern Cyprus, Tufan Erhurman, said that any provocative moves in the eastern Mediterranean region would be answered, adding in an emphatic manner that gas exploration would proceed only after the Cypriot problem had been definitively solved.
The Turkish Prime Minister also expressed his annoyance over the fact that Athens had raised the issue of the arrest of the two Greek servicemen by Turkey in Brussels. Fanning the flames of tension, even more, the Turkish PM commented on the burning of the Turkish flag in a protest in Athens saying that such actions were unacceptable and that Turkish government did not talk with those who acted in such a manner. He went on to add that Turks gave their lives for the symbol.