Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reacted to the Greek Cypriot Administration granting an exploration permit to an American Company and Qatar Petroleum that covers a part of Turkey’s continental shelf.

Erdoğan said that a part of the license violated an area of Turkey’s continental shelf and that with this the rights of the Turkish Cypriots, that are the co-owner of the Island, are being ignored.

Speaking with journalists while on his visit to Doha, Erdoğan said that the unilateral steps being taken by the Greek Cypriot administration is ignoring the rights of Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot people.

“A part of the license area in question violates Turkey’s continental shelf in the Eastern Mediterranean and ignores the rights of the Turkish Cypriots, the co-owner of the Island” said Erdoğan.

He said that Turkey has voiced their sadness over the issue and said that the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs will follow up on this issue.