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Larry Walker24 said:Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made it crystal clear this Wednesday: he’s willing to do whatever it takes to secure their rights in the Black, Aegean, and Mediterranean Seas.
"We aren't making any compromises on what belongs to us... We're ready to do whatever is necessary," Erdoğan stated. This comes right after the German Foreign Minister tried playing peacemaker to cool things down between Turkey and Greece over who controls the waters in the eastern Mediterranean.
While speaking at an event commemorating the Seljuk Turks' military victory over the Byzantine Empire at Malazgirt, Erdoğan also warned his Greek counterparts to avoid making mistakes that would lead to their own destruction.
Things have been heating up between Turkey and Greece since Ankara sent their research vessel, the Oruç Reis, into those contested eastern Mediterranean waters this month—a move Athens slammed as illegal.
Even though Turkey and Greece are both NATO allies, they are locked in a massive standoff over hydrocarbon resource rights, mostly because they can't agree on where their continental shelf boundaries lie near those heavily Greek islands.
"If anyone is actually prepared to pay the price, let them step up. If not, they should just get out of the way so we can get on with our business," Erdoğan said.
Germany tried stepping in to mediate between Ankara and Athens. Both sides claim they want to talk, but they've both issued warnings that they won't back down when it comes to defending their regional interests.
Meanwhile, France is set to join Italy, Greece, and Cyprus for military exercises in the eastern Mediterranean through August 28th.
Whether we like Erdoğan or not, you have to admit the man has guts and isn't afraid to push back against anyone. He might be a little wild, too. Is it any wonder why Americans in his country support him so strongly?
