Turk nationalist leader rattles saber in Eastern Med

Speaking to his party's parliamentary group, Devlet Bahceli said that "in the eastern Mediterranean there are developments that test our limits and our patience.

Strong alliances that ignore the rights of Turkey and Turkey on the natural sources of energy in the eastern Mediterranean by playing with our sovereign rights to Turkey are well aware that they will pay a heavy price."

He stated that "those who expect to create fait accompli  retreating from our legal and historical rights are mistaken. They will understand from the beginning or later that they are wrong. By excluding Turkey from the Aegean and the Mediterranean, no sovereignty can be established. Neither history, nor the Turkish nation has ever allowed this, nor will it ever allow it."

Bahceli said that "the challenges in the Eastern Mediterranean do not make Turkey surrender. By growling and threatening they can not overshadow our rights. The Mediterranean was once a Turkish lake. We did not forget that. Let us not unjustly try our patience. Let us not see our maturity as cowardice. Let us not think it is cowardly that we are watching the events coolly.

He added that "the Turkish nation by launching the new ship Barbaros Hajredin Pasha is fortunately still blessed with steadfast will to smash the pirates' heads. Our expectation is that our drill rigs Fatih and Barbaros, with the protection of our naval forces continue their activities in our jurisdiction to the point where they must, and where they will go."

"For a long time there has been an attempt, with regional and international tricks, to stop Turkey's path and prevent its development. In Cyprus, the foster homeland of Turks, there are international pressures that promote the Greek Cypriots' argument for a Cyprus without Turks," said the MHP leader.