We fully reject and condemn the calls made towards our country and the
conclusions adopted in the EU Foreign Affairs Council today (14 October) in
Luxemburg under the title of “North East Syria” and “Turkey’s activities in
the Eastern Mediterranean”.
The Operation Peace Spring is being successfully conducted on the basis of
international law, in accordance with our right of self-defense under
Article 51 of the United Nations Charter and UN Security Council
resolutions on the fight against terrorism.
It is unacceptable that the EU displays a protective approach towards
terrorist elements, in the face of threats and attacks against our national
security as well as against Syria’s territorial integrity and national
unity by PYD/YPG terrorist organization, the PKK offshoot in Syria. We
consider the fact that the EU remained silent in its Council conclusion
about the massacre where 18 innocent civilians including a baby were
murdered in our country in the last two days as a result of PYD/YPG
terrorism supported by some EU countries, as a manifestation of this faulty
approach.
As continuously reiterated, we invite the EU, which serves for the
separatist agenda of a terrorist organization under the pretence of
fighting against DEASH terror as well as the EU member states that support
this organization, to self-criticism and common sense regarding their
responsibilities on the course of today’s events. We underline that the EU,
with its current policies and practices, does not have the right to lecture
Turkey on the fight against DEASH.
Turkey, hosting the largest refugee population in the world, is determined
to continue its fight against all terrorist organizations, DEASH and
PYD/YPG in particular, that threaten its national security and the Syrian
people in the future.
This operation will provide a safe zone on Turkey-Syria border, enable the
return of the area to its rightful owners and facilitate the voluntary
return of displaced Syrians to their lands. We would like to remind that
Article 9 of the 18 March Agreement imposes the obligation to the EU and
member countries, together with Turkey, to improve the conditions in areas
close to the Turkish border of the Syrian territory in order to allow the
local people and refugees to live in safer areas.
On the other hand, we find it totally unacceptable that the EU considers
our research and drilling activities as illegal, which are being carried
out resolutely to protect our own rights, as well as the rights of the
Turkish Cypriots in the Eastern Mediterranean. This prejudiced position of
the EU against Turkey, which has no precedent, does not comply with the
international law either.
Furthermore, the EU’s failure to refer to the Turkish Cypriots and
disregarding them in these conclusions are again outrageous and alarming.
This situation has been the latest example of EU becoming the hostage of
the Greek side on the Cyprus issue and it cannot stay impartial. In fact,
it is a reality that the EU, by failing to materialize its own decisions
taken and its own promises given in 2004, had already been disregarding the
Turkish Cypriots. We strongly condemn this attitude of the EU as well.
We would like to emphasize once again that we will resolutely carry on with
our hydrocarbon activities together with the TRNC and, should the EU apply
certain preventive measures, we will retaliate accordingly.
It is a great paradox on the part of the EU Council to express that the
delimitation of exclusive economic zone and continental shelf should be
made through dialogue and negotiation in good faith, in conformity with
international law and the principle of good neighborly relations on the one
hand, and its endorsement of the GCA’s unilateral maritime jurisdiction
area claims, attempting to impose these claims upon Turkey under the
pretext of “union solidarity” on the other hand.
Building peace and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean will only be
possible with a climate of cooperation where everyone wins, respect towards
our country’s and especially the Turkish Cypriots’ legitimate rights and
interests stemming from relevant agreements and international law, and
consideration of the political, legal, historical and geographical
realities of the Eastern Mediterranean.
We will seriously reconsider our cooperation with the EU on certain areas
due to its unlawful and biased stance.