Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu stressed on Tuesday that Türkiye will do whatever is necessary to protect its rights and interests as well as those of the Turkish Cypriot people.

He also vowed that Türkiye will continue its energy exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean, calling this “our right and duty.”

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu touched upon the Eastern Mediterranean issue during a speech he delivered at an event in the Black Sea province of Kastamonu.

Çavuşoğlu said that Türkiye needs to protect not only its interests but also those of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. “We’re doing everything to protect our rights and interests in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean, our continental shelf” he said.

Also commenting on ties with Greece amid recent tensions, Çavuşoğlu said that Türkiye has “seen the insincerity of Greece on every platform.”

He also called on Athens to seek Ankara’s friendship, saying, “Don’t trust others, you won’t gain any advantage by having someone else’s second-hand plane or gun. There’s no need to brag just because you’ve set up a few bases in your country. If you want to solve problems, be sincere first, but we don’t see this sincerity in Greece. We will do whatever is necessary to protect our rights and interests, to protect the rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriot people.”