Turkey to give necessary response to Greek side for not keeping promises: Erdoğan on Eastern Mediterranean dispute

Turkey on Wednesday vowed to give Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration the "answer it deserves" over the energy dispute in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Delivering an address to the ruling-AK Party members on Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stressed in remarks related to the Eastern Mediterranean issue: "Our Oruç Reis vessel has returned to the Mediterranean. We will continue to give necessary response to Greece and Greek Cypriot administration who have not kept promises during talks in the field."

REOPENING OF TURKISH CYPRIOT TOWN OF MARAS

Erdoğan also slammed criticism of last week's partial reopening of the Turkish Cypriot town of Maras.

"The Maras region belongs to the Turks of Northern Cyprus, this should be known," he said.

The abandoned town of Maras in Gazimagusa, Turkish Cyprus was partially reopened for public use last Thursday.

Historical and archival research backed by Turkey found that most of the land in Maras belongs to Turkish foundations.

Turkey has stressed that the partial reopening does not change the status of Maras.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when a Greek Cypriot coup was followed by violence against the island's Turks and Ankara's intervention as a guarantor power.

It has seen an on-and-off peace process in recent years, including a failed 2017 initiative in Switzerland under the auspices of guarantor countries Turkey, Greece, and the UK.