Burak Bir
03 December 2019•Update: 03 December 2019
ANKARA
Ahead of NATO's summit in London, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday called for unconditional support of the alliance in fight against terrorism.
Speaking to reporters at Ankara's Esenboga International Airport before his departure for the meeting, Erdogan said the member states should work to strengthen NATO in the face of common threats, instead of seeking alternatives.
"A reform in NATO in line with present-day threats is inevitable,” the president said.
Erdogan also mentioned that Turkey is the only country that fights hand to hand against the terror group Daesh/ISIS and defeated it in Syria.
Touching on the Turkey-Libya deal, Erdogan said that this is the sovereign right of both countries, which Ankara will not discuss with France despite the latter's concerns.
The Restriction of Marine Jurisdictions signed Monday determined Turkey's maritime boundaries in the Mediterranean Sea.
Turkey has consistently contested the Greek Cypriot administration’s unilateral drilling in the Eastern Mediterranean, asserting that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) also has rights to the resources in the area.
"Greece can take steps, and we reserve the right to take steps. We take our steps, we will do what is needed instantly," he also said, referring to the deal.
He went on to say that he had vetoed a law on Monday that sought to delay the installation of filters on coal plants due to environmental concerns.
Turkey will not allow firms to prevent people from breathing clean air, he said.
