Following yet another round of provocative remarks by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier this week, the Greek Foreign Ministry issued a statement warning that such rhetoric from Ankara is undermining regional stability.

“The Turkish provocations undermine the stability of the region at a crucial juncture and demonstrate the paucity of Turkey’s legal arguments,” the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday making it clear that “Greece is not going to be influenced by the neighboring country’s outbursts of aggressive rhetoric”.

“…As a factor of stability and security in the region, Greece will continue, in collaboration with its allies and partners, to defend international law and its own inalienable rights,” the Greek Foreign Ministry said highlighting that “the rest of the Eastern Mediterranean countries recognize that energy must be a bridge of dialogue and cooperation in our region. Instead of insisting on threats and on its illegal claims and challenges, Turkey ought to adhere to this responsible stance.”

Erdogan’s most recent remarks were in regards Turkey’s rights in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean, that escalated into a threat towards Greece and Cyprus if they “continue to behave recklessly”, where recklessness, insert Nicosia’s initiatives to develop its natural gas resources in the region, something Turkey sees as an initiative to impinge on its own rights in the region.

Meanwhile, Cyprus announced on Monday that energy giants Total and Eni had jointly bid for another license to explore and exploit oil and gas reserves off the island.

“The reckless behavior of Greece – supported by European states – acting together with the Greek-Cypriot administration is a danger and above all a threat to themselves,” Erdogan said.

“We will use our rights under international law and conventions to the end. And we are determined to put anyone who wants to stop us in their place.”

Concluding, Erdogan called on Russia and Ukraine to resolve their dispute through dialogue, saying Turkey wants the Black Sea to become a “sea of peace.”