Turkey ready for any eventuality on energy issue

ISTANBUL/ANKARA－Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday said Turkey is prepared for every possibility and consequence regarding the eastern Mediterranean issue.

"We are ready for every possibility and every consequence," Erdogan said at the opening ceremony of a hospital in Istanbul, noting Turkey "has the political, economic, and military power to tear away immoral maps and documents imposed by others".

Turkey and its NATO ally Greece have long been at odds over the energy resources in the region as Ankara has been opposing the drilling efforts of several countries without its involvement.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Friday that Greece rejected a NATO initiative, which aimed to ease the tension in the disputed waters despite Turkey's approval.

Meanwhile, Turkish media reported that tanks were being moved toward the Greek border. The Cumhuriyet newspaper said 40 tanks were being transported from the Syrian border to Edirne in northwest Turkey and carried photographs of armored vehicles loaded on trucks.

Regular movement

A military official speaking on condition of anonymity in line with government regulations said the deployment was a regular movement of forces and unconnected to tension with Greece.

The president's comments come after NATO said military officers from Greece and Turkey had begun technical discussions to reduce the risk of armed conflict or accidents.

The two NATO allies have been locked for weeks in a tense standoff in the eastern Mediterranean, where Turkey is prospecting the seabed for energy reserves in an area Greece claims as its own continental shelf.

Ankara says it has every right to prospect there and accuses Athens of trying to grab an unfair share of maritime resources.

Simulated dogfights between Greek and Turkish fighter pilots have multiplied over the Aegean Sea and the eastern Mediterranean. A Turkish and a Greek frigate collided last month, reportedly causing minor damage to the Turkish frigate but no injuries.

Erdogan said Turkey had repeatedly expressed its willingness to come to a just agreement.

"Our word is sincere," he said."The problem is those before us disregard our rights and try to situate themselves above us."

Turkey faces a wide range of opponents in the eastern Mediterranean. France, Italy and the United Arab Emirates have all sent forces to join war games with either Greece or Cyprus in recent weeks. Egypt has signed an energy exploration deal with Athens for the Mediterranean.

Agencies - Xinhua