Tensions in the Aegean Sea. The Greek Navy has deployed ships and announced "enhanced preparations" following recent Turkish gas exploration activities, a source from this military body said on Wednesday.
"Navy units have been deployed since yesterday (Tuesday) in the south and south-east of the Aegean Sea," the source told AFP. These units "are ready to respond to any activity," added the officer. The Navy also called on sailors to ignore a restriction on maritime navigation decreed by Turkey.
Athens denounces "an escalation of tension in our region"
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mistotakis organized separate meetings with leaders of Greek political parties on Thursday and Friday "on national issues," according to his press office.
As part of its ongoing hydrocarbon exploration activities, Turkey has announced "publicly" the deployment of its Oruç Reis vessel in the eastern Mediterranean from Tuesday, according to a statement from the Turkish Foreign Ministry dated Wednesday.
Athens officially protested against these movements close to the Greek island of Kastellorizo. “The announcement of Turkish explorations in a section of the Greek continental shelf (…) constitutes an escalation of tension in our region,” the Greek Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
"We call on Turkey to immediately cease its illegal activities which violate our sovereign rights and undermine peace and security in the region," the Greek ministry added.
EU reacted, denouncing 'wrong message' sent by Turks
Ankara affirms that the maritime zone where the explorations will be conducted is "entirely on the Turkish continental shelf as declared to the United Nations", according to Hami Aksoy, spokesman for the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The latter disputes that the only Greek island of Kastellorizo, "10 km2 wide, only 2 km from Anatolia (in Turkey) and 580 km from the Greek mainland, can generate a continental shelf of 40,000 km2", according to a press release. . In Brussels, Nabila Massrali, spokesperson for the EU, considered that Turkey was sending "the wrong message" with regard to Turkish-European relations.
Turkey, a candidate to join the EU, "must make an unequivocal commitment to good neighborly relations, (the application) of international agreements and the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with the UN charter", she told reporters.
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