Ankara insists it supports diplomacy

After months of heightened tension with Athens and Nicosia, the Turkish National Security Council insisted Thursday that it favors diplomacy and dialogue to resolve issues with the two countries in the wider region. 

In a statement issued after a meeting chaired by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the council "stressed once again that Turkey is in favor of diplomacy and dialogue to resolve the issues of the Aegean, the Eastern Mediterranean and Cyprus."

It noted, however, that Turkey "is determined to protect the rights and interests that arise from international law and international agreements."

The statement came in the wake of the resumption of exploratory contacts between Greece and Turkey on Monday in Istanbul after a five-year hiatus.

Greece has insisted that the sole issue up for discussion is that pertaining to the demarcation of maritime...