Turkish president says energy resources could resolve political problems in Eastern Mediterranean

The newly discovered energy resources in the Eastern Mediterranean could contribute a great deal on the road to resolving the political problems in the region, Turkish President Abdullah Gül has said.

“I believe any projects regarding energy resources in the Eastern Mediterranean should involve all the countries in the region, including Egypt, Israel, Cyprus and Turkey… to resolve political problems,” he said today at the opening ceremony of the Annual Energy Forum organized by Sabancı University.

“Turkish Cypriots also have a right to the discovered energy resources off the Cyprus coastline. Economics could be the main instrument to resolve the existing political problems in the region and a new economic cooperation mission could be established in the Eastern Mediterranean, which could be under the framework of the European Union,” Gül said.