In an interview on Turkish television, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has indicated where Turkey plans to conduct research for hydrocarbons but also drilling, using a map to indicate the location east of Crete.

"I want to show you something," he says. "This point here is the point where Turkey meets Libya. This belt that you see passes east of Crete. The northern section of the border here is Turkey and the southern section is Libya. What are these? These are continental shelves. We can say that we can conduct our seismic research here and then after our seismic research we can drill here," he said.

Pointing to the presense of significant hydrocarbon deposits in the eastern Mediterranean, Erdogan said that Turkey could cooperate in the region with major international companies.

Finally, in reference to the deal Turkey signed with Libya seeking to delineate its maritime zones, Erdogan said it would be enforced following its approval in Turkey's Parliament, adding that the accord protects the interests of both Turkey and Libya and that Ankara will not permit unilateral actions in the region.

Last week EU leaders rejected the Ankara-Tripoli deal as invalid.