Turkey is ready to take “all necessary measures” to protect the rights of Turkish Cypriots and Turkey’s ownership of the continental shelf in the eastern Aegean, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Çavuşoğlu tells Kathimerini in an interview.

Çavuşoğlu claimed that an area where Turkey is exploring for hydrocarbons – Block 6 of Cyprus’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) – belongs to Turkey’s continental shelf. He also reiterated that there was no sea border between Greece and Cyprus.

Turkey does not expect talks about reuniting Cyprus to resume in the immediate future. Athens and Ankara need to build their bilateral relations at an upcoming High Level Council of Cooperation of Greece and Turkey meeting in Thessaloniki, he said.

While understanding that the Greek government is attempting to overcome a deadlock in extraditing eight Turkish servicemen accused of taking part in the failed coup of 2016, Çavuşoğlu said they must be turned over to Turkey to stand trial.