ANKARA: Turkey slammed a statement by European Union Mediterranean states on Friday, saying the comments were biased and 鈥渄etached from reality,鈥� but added Ankara was still open to unconditional talks with Greece.
NATO members Turkey and Greece have overlapping claims to continental shelves and rights to potential energy resources in the eastern Mediterranean. In a joint statement on Thursday, the seven EU Mediterranean states said the bloc will draw up a list of new sanctions on Turkey at the end of September unless Ankara negotiates to resolve the dispute with Greece and Cyprus.
Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hami Aksoy said in a statement that Greece needed to 鈥渦nconditionally sit at the negotiating table with Turkey鈥� in order to achieve dialogue and cooperation in the region, adding Athens needed to withdraw its military ships from around Turkey鈥檚 Oruc Reis survey vessel in order to de-escalate tensions.