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Speaking to his party\u2019s provincial chairs in Ankara on Tuesday, \u00d6zel argued that foreign policy mistakes had left Turkey isolated. He pointed to Greece\u2019s maritime deal with Egypt, its newer fighter jets and Turkey\u2019s exclusion from European defence funds.<\/p>\n
\u00d6zg\u00fcr \u00d6zel founded the New Party<\/a> in July, after a court removed him as CHP leader. His new party is now the main opposition in Turkey\u2019s parliament.<\/p>\n Libya deal fails to win friends<\/strong><\/p>\n First, \u00d6zel said Turkey valued its maritime memorandum with Libya, but the deal alone could not protect Turkish rights in the Eastern Mediterranean. In his view, Ankara\u2019s broken ties with Cairo made things worse.<\/p>\n Read more: Former Greek PM Rejects Turkish Permit Demand for Cyprus Cable<\/p>\n \u201cThe agreement Egypt signed with Greece is accepted by everyone, while our agreement with Libya is criticised, condemned and not accepted by insolent Europeans,\u201d<\/em> he said.<\/p>\n Greece and its allies have rejected the Turkey-Libya deal as illegal, Greek City Times reported. \u00d6zel also mocked Erdogan for ending up \u201cwaiting at Sisi\u2019s door\u201d<\/em>.<\/p>\n He also criticised Turkey\u2019s exclusion from SAFE, the European Union\u2019s \u20ac150 billion defence fund. In fact, Turkey sends F-16s to help protect Baltic airspace, \u00d6zel noted.<\/p>\n Likewise, he warned that the EU had left Turkey out of its \u201cMade in Europe\u201d rules. Nor has the bloc updated its customs union with Ankara. As a result, the Turkish car industry faces a \u201ccrushing blow\u201d<\/em>, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThey are treating Turkey as if it were China,\u201d<\/em> \u00d6zg\u00fcr \u00d6zel told the meeting.<\/p>\n \u00d6zg\u00fcr \u00d6zel turns to F-35s and Fidan<\/strong><\/p>\n Turning to Washington, \u00d6zel said Turkey had bought 250 Boeing aircraft and paid high prices for gas. It also offered rare earths to win favour with US President Donald Trump. Yet US sanctions on Turkey remain in place.<\/p>\n By contrast, Trump lifted the arms embargo on the Republic of Cyprus, which \u00d6zel called \u201cSouth Cyprus\u201d. Washington sold F-35s to Greece and Israel, along with the most modern F-16s, he said. Turkey, however, lost its place in the F-35 program.<\/p>\n \u00d6zg\u00fcr \u00d6zel also mocked Turkey\u2019s Russian S-400 air defence systems. Turkey has switched them on only once, for a test, and they now sit in a hangar, he said.<\/p>\n Finally, \u00d6zel turned on Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, whom he called \u201cthe TikToker Mr Hakan\u201d. He accused Fidan of telling a Greek newspaper that extending Greek territorial waters<\/a> to 12 miles is no casus belli. The Latin term means a cause for war.<\/p>\n Turkey\u2019s position, \u00d6zel said, rejects any extension beyond six miles. Turning to Fidan\u2019s past as intelligence chief, he added: \u201cSuch ignorance is only possible with bad intent.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Similarly, he argued that Fidan\u2019s request for notice of cable surveys, rather than a permit, had weakened Ankara. Since then, Greece has rejected even notification, \u00d6zg\u00fcr \u00d6zel said.<\/p>\n Later on Tuesday, Turkey\u2019s Foreign Ministry denied that Fidan had given an interview to a Greek newspaper. The ministry also insisted that Turkey\u2019s positions on the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean remain unchanged, Turkish media reported.<\/p>\n (Source: ERT News)<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n