Egypt-Greece-Cyprus summit condemns Turkey's undermining of regional stability

On Wednesday, the presidents of Egypt and Cyprus and the Prime Minister of Greece have held a tripartite summit, in which they stated that their meeting takes place at a crucial period in the Middle East.

In the context, Cypriot President Nikos Anastasiades said: "As we observe forms of cooperation aimed at establishing stability and security in the eastern Mediterranean, we witness Turkey, through a number of illegal practices, is working to deteriorate the situation, increase tension and undermine regional stability."

"By invading and interfering in Syria, sending mercenaries to Libya, interfering in Karabakh, and violating the sovereign rights of the maritime borders in the Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea," stated the Cypriot president and called on Turkey to stop its destabilizing practices.

In turn, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi accused Turkey of practicing violations and transporting mercenaries in conflict areas and blackmailing Europe with the migrants issue.

He stressed the need to strengthen the tripartite cooperation mechanism with Greece and Cyprus, saying, "We decided to confront the provocative actions and violations in the eastern Mediterranean."

Al-Sisi also renewed his country's rejection of any illegal foreign presence on Syrian soil, and demanded to address countries that support, arm, and finance terrorism, and Sisi stressed that "Security Council resolutions represent the reference for the solution in Syria."

For his part, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stressed that Turkey raises tension in the Mediterranean, and called on European Union countries to stop selling arms to it.

Mitsotakis stressed that Turkey's practices have led to problems within NATO, adding: "Turkey continues to violate international law and undermine the law, and is pursuing an expansionist policy that threatens the region and creates dangers in the eastern Mediterranean."

With regard to the Turkish intervention in Libya, the Prime Minister of Greece said: "The solution in Libya must take place without external interference," and considered the Turkish-Libyan maritime agreement as illegal.

Today's summit between Egypt, Greece and Cyprus in the Cypriot capital, Nicosia, is the first summit after the maritime border demarcation agreement last August between Greece and Egypt.

J.O