Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Greece not to listen to parties that would not help it in the confrontation with the Turkish navy, while his defense minister announced military maneuvers with allies in the eastern Mediterranean.

On Monday, Erdogan stressed that the Turkish navy would not retreat from its positions in the eastern Mediterranean, and accused Greece of "spreading chaos there."

"Those who dump Greece in front of the Turkish navy will not stand behind it," he added, following a cabinet meeting.

And he added that Athens has no right to broadcast navigational guidance known as "NAFTEX" in the areas claimed by Ankara.

"Greece has announced its navigation instructions illegally and in a crude manner ... with this position Greece is spreading chaos that it will not be able to escape from," he said.

Military maneuvers
The Turkish Ministry of Defense announced that a naval exercise including ships from the Turkish Navy and the navies of allied countries will take place in the eastern Mediterranean on 25 August.

Turkey has extended the exploration mission carried out by the survey ship Aruj Reis in the eastern Mediterranean until 27 August, and Athens described the survey as illegal.

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said that the Turkish navy continues its activities intensively in the Aegean Sea, the Mediterranean and the Black Seas. Akar affirmed his country's determination to protect the rights and interests of its people.

The Turkish minister's comments came after Greece announced the start of naval military exercises with live ammunition in an area that overlaps with the survey department carried out by a Turkish ship.

For his part, Greek government spokesman Stelios Petsas said Monday that Greece has issued navigation guidance that will also expire on 27 August.

"Greece is responding calmly with willingness on the diplomatic and practical levels. It will do everything necessary to defend its sovereign rights," he added.

There are severe differences between Turkey and Greece, the two members of NATO, over the sovereignty of oil and gas resources in the region, based on conflicting views about the extension of the continental shelf of each of the two countries in the waters that are spread by mostly Greek islands.

German mediation,
and on Tuesday, the German foreign minister will head to Athens and then to Ankara, in an attempt to contain the tension between the two countries.

"It is imperative that Germany remain in dialogue with the two parties, because the goal is for Greece and Turkey to solve their differences directly," German government spokesman Stephen Seibert told reporters.

"These efforts are necessary" to calm down and "find a solution to tensions," said a spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry, Christopher Burger.

"We fear that tensions will continue to affect relations between Turkey and the European Union, and that further escalation will have dire consequences," Burger added.