Greek dreams of an anti-Turkish alliance will turn into a ‘nightmare’ - AKP spokesperson

Greek and Cypriot dreams of an anti-Turkish alliance will turn into a nightmare, Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) spokesperson Ömer Çelik said on Thursday.

Çelik criticised the exclusion of Turkey and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) from a new international initiative to discuss Mediterranean issues, according to state-run Anadolu news agency.

The first meeting of Philia Forum was held in Athens on Feb.11, and attended by Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. France participated with observer status.

Participants said the “friendship forum” aimed to “improve cooperation in security, healthcare, energy and environmental protections for the region from eastern Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf,” Deutsche Welle Turkish reported.

But Çelik said Greece and Cyprus were using the initiative to unite countries against Turkey in pursuit of their own interests in the region.

“We guarantee that those dreams will turn into a nightmare,” Andolu cited the minister as saying.

Turkey is at loggerheads with Greece and Cyprus over access to natural gas reserves in the eastern Mediterranean, which has reignited a long-standing dispute over maritime borders.

The Philia Forum risked sabotaging European Union efforts to resolve the issue, Çelik said according to Andolu.

“No meeting that excludes the TRNC while centering the Greek Cypriot side could be considered a friendship forum,” he added.

Earlier this week, Turkey said it would undertake hydrographic surveys in international waters off the coast of Greece, drawing condemnation from Athens.

In December, the EU imposed sanctions on Turkish entities involved in gas drilling activities in the region.