US strongly supports Greece-Turkey dialogue to resolve maritime dispute: Pompeo

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on September 29 that the United States strongly supports dialogue between Greece and Turkey, amid rising tensions over energy resources. Pompeo is on a two-day trip to Greece and visited the NATO base of Souda Bay on Crete with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. 

After the visit, the top US diplomat said that the United States encourage NATO allies to resume discussion on contentious issues as soon as possible. Last month, US President Donald Trump held a telephonic conversation with Mitsotakis and urged NATO allies to commit to dialogue to resolve the ongoing maritime dispute over the Eastern Mediterranean.

The tensions are running high between Greece and Turkey over exploration operations in the disputed waters of the eastern Mediterranean. Both countries have been sending warships in the disputed zone to shadow their drilling vessels and the European Union has been following the situation closely.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan asserted that he would make “no concessions” in the eastern Mediterranean and is determined to do whatever necessary to claim its rights. At an event to commemorate the 11th-century military victory by Seljuk Turks over the Byzantine empire at Malazgirt, Erdogan urged Greece to avoid mistakes that “will be the path to ruin.”

"We don't have our eye on someone else's territory, sovereignty and interests, but we will make no concessions on that which is ours," Erdogan said.

Read: Pompeo Pledges To Use US' 'influence' To De-escalate Greece-Turkey Tensions

Read: Mike Pompeo To Travel To Greece, Italy For A High-level Meeting With Officials

The 27-member bloc has already imposed an entry ban and asset freeze on two Turkish energy executives, with France deploying ships to the eastern Mediterranean. Recently, US Senators urged State Secretary Mike Pompeo and the EU to impose sanctions on key sectors of the Turkish economy for its “illegal” drilling operations in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Letter from US Senators

Bob Menendez, a ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen wrote to Pompeo, citing Ankara’s recent deployment of naval vessels to accompany a drilling ship into “Greece’s exclusive economic zone”. The duo urged Pompeo to immediately start working with the EU on a coordinated response to Turkey’s “increasing provocations and illegal actions” in the Eastern Mediterranean.

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Read: Turkey, Greece Signal Willingness To Talk After Weeks Of Standoff In Eastern Mediterranean

(Image: AP)