ISTANBUL: Turkey’s armed forces began annual exercises on Sunday in the breakaway republic of Northern Cyprus as tensions continue to rise with Greece in the eastern Mediterranean.
As tensions run high, the Turkish military began its exercises called `Mediterranean Storm’ with the Turkish Cypriot Security Command, Vice- President Fuat Oktay said on Twitter.
“The security priorities of our country and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) are indispensable, along with diplomatic solutions in the eastern Mediterranean,” Oktay said. The Turkish defence ministry also tweeted the military exercises, which last until Thursday, continued “successfully”.
Phone call
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and European Council President Charles Michel discussed developments in the eastern Mediterranean on Sunday during a phone call.
The Turkish leader “invited EU institutions and member states to be fair, impartial, and objective and to act responsibly on regional issues, particularly the eastern Mediterranean”, the president’s office said in a statement.
Michel said on Friday that European Union leaders will decide on a “carrot and stick” approach to Turkey when they meet on 24-25 September, proposing a conference to defuse tensions.