ATHENS, Greece (AP) " Greece warned Thursday it will do 'whatever is necessary' to defend its sovereign rights in response to plans by neighboring Turkey to proceed with an oil-and-gas research mission south of Greek islands in the eastern Mediterranean. Turkey has drawn growing criticism from Western allies, with French President Emmanuel Macron joining calls for European Union sanctions against Ankara if the dispute escalates further. Greek government spokesman Stelios Petsas described the mission as a direct violation of Greek sovereignty and that of Greek ally Cyprus. Turkey argues Greek islands should not be included in calculating maritime zones of economic interest " a position that Greece says is a clear violation of international law. Erdogan's spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, said Thursday: 'We want all natural resources in the eastern Mediterranean to be shared fairly.'

Source: Libya Today July 23, 2020 14:15 UTC