Turkish, US officials discuss Palestine, Eastern Med, via phone

ANKARA

Turkey's presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin spoke via telephone Friday with US National Security Advisor Robert C. O'Brien about bilateral relations, Libya, the Eastern Mediterranean and Palestine, according to an official statement.

It was stressed that Turkey wants problems to be resolved in the framework of international law through peace and negotiations in Libya and in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Also impressed to the US was that in Palestine, peace and stability can be achieved only with a two-state plan, which is also accepted by the Palestinians.

Israel and the UAE agreed to normalize relations Thursday in a deal that includes Israel's pledge to postpone annexation plans in large portions of the West Bank.

Palestine, Turkey, Iran and Libya have denounced the deal.

The internationally recognized Libyan government has been under attack by warlord Khalifa Haftar's forces since April 2019, with more than 1,000 killed in the violence.

The government launched Operation Peace Storm in March to counter attacks on the capital and recently regained strategic locations, including the Al-Watiya airbase and Tarhuna.

Eastern Mediterranean

Earlier this week, Turkey resumed energy exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean region after Greece and Egypt signed a controversial maritime delimitation deal.

The agreement came one day after Ankara said it would postpone oil and gas exploration as a goodwill gesture.

But after declaring the Greek-Egyptian deal "null and void," Turkey authorized the Oruc Reis seismic research vessel to continue its activities in an area within the country's continental shelf.

The ship will continue the two-week mission until Aug. 23 along with the Cengiz Han and Ataman ships.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the only solution to the dispute was dialogue and negotiations, and urged Athens to respect Turkey's rights.

Turkey has consistently opposed Greece's efforts to declare an exclusive economic zone based on small islands near Turkish shores, violating the interests of Turkey, the country with the longest coastline in the Mediterranean.

*Writing by Havva Kara Aydin