Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) shakes hands with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg as they pose for a photograph prior to their meeting at the Cankaya Palace in the capital Ankara, on May 06, 2019. AFP
ANKARA: Turkey expects NATO to support its rights in the eastern Mediterranean, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday, after the United States and European Union voiced concerns over Ankara's plans for offshore drilling in an area claimed by Cyprus as its exclusive economic zone.
Speaking at NATO's North Atlantic Council Mediterranean Dialogue Meeting in Ankara, Erdogan also said that Turkey rejected arguments claiming its deal to purchase Russian S-400 defence systems meant Ankara was looking for alternatives in its international ties.
(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu and Ece Toksabay Editing by Dominic Evans)
