The Turkish president on Friday said Ankara is ready for talks with neighboring Greece over recent tension in Eastern Mediterranean.
“Let’s give diplomacy a chance, put forward a positive approach in diplomacy, let Greece meet our approach in a positive direction and we take a step accordingly,” Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told reporters after the Friday prayers in Istanbul.
“OUR SEISMIC SURVEY WILL NOT STOP”
“We also told them this: We’re always ready to meet if there is goodwill, we can meet whether we have a meeting in a third country or through video conferencing, but we can do that.”
He said that Turkey has no “trouble” meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, but what is essential is “what to discuss and on what grounds to meet.”
Turkey’s energy exploration vessel Oruc Reis will return to the mission in the Eastern Mediterranean after maintenance work is over, Erdoğan said. However, he added: “If we returned Oruc Reis to the port for maintenance, it also means something. Why did we do it? This is a meaningful approach.”
Returning the Oruç Reis to a Turkish port does not mean “our seismic survey is stopped,” the Turkish president also said.
Last weekend, Turkey returned the Oruç Reis, a research ship exploring energy in the Eastern Mediterranean, to an Antalya port for restocking and maintenance work.