Germany joined other European parties in denouncing Turkey's announcement to resume exploration activities near its coasts, to reignite tension after a short-lived truce between Ankara and Athens, which are involved in a dispute over energy stocks in the eastern Mediterranean.
In a statement issued today, Tuesday, prior to his travel to Greece and Cyprus, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas demanded Turkey to stop what he described as provocation, a day after Ankara announced the return of the ship "Aruj Reis" to its exploration work for gas.
Maas announced his country's solidarity with Cyprus and Greece as partners in the European Union, saying that Turkey should remain open to talks and not resume gas exploration in the maritime areas in question.
The German government had warned of what it considered a provocation on the part of Ankara, and described the Turkish move as very unfortunate.
Government spokesman Stephen Seibert called on all parties to the eastern Mediterranean conflict to resolve their differences under international law.
Soon after yesterday's announcement that "Aruj Reis" sailed from Antalya (southern Turkey) to carry out exploration work in a marine area only 15 km from the coastal shores and 425 km from the Greek mainland, Greece condemned this step and described it as illegal, and called on Turkey to immediately withdraw it. Renewed the call to impose European sanctions on Ankara.
And the Greek Foreign Ministry considered that this move is illegal, and systematically undermines peace and security in the region, calling for an immediate end to those activities.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mtsutakis also said that he would present this development during the European Council meeting on Wednesday and Thursday, describing the Turkish move as a dangerous escalation.
Concurrently, the European Union's foreign affairs official, Josep Borrell, warned that the new mission of the Turkish vessel for gas exploration, and its return to the disputed waters of the eastern Mediterranean, may lead to new tensions.
France also expressed its concern about this step, and said that Turkey must fulfill the commitments it has made with regard to this conflict, and refrain from what it described as new provocations.
The leaders of the European Union had warned Turkey that sanctions were still possible if it took unilateral steps in the eastern Mediterranean, but Ankara defied the Europeans after sending "Aruj Reis" on a new mission.
Turkish
response In its response to the Greek statements, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said yesterday that Athens has no right to object to the excavations carried out by Ankara in the eastern Mediterranean region, a few kilometers from its shores, and hundreds of kilometers from Greece.
Defense Minister Hulusi Akar also said that his country is launching its operations in an area of its continental shelf, and that he hopes Greece will stop taking any steps that would escalate tension.
Akar called for resolving the eastern Mediterranean and Aegean disputes through dialogue, warning against testing the ability and determination of his country.
At a time when Energy Minister Fatih Donmez said that his country would continue to protect its rights and find potential resources in the region, the head of the presidential contact department, Fakhreddin Altun, confirmed that negotiations would not be possible if Turkey's rights in the eastern Mediterranean were denied.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other officials have repeatedly stressed that their country will not give up its rights in the eastern Mediterranean, and stressed the need for a fair sharing of natural resources in this region, which is likely to contain large deposits of gas that have not yet been discovered.
During its new 10-day mission, the Turkish ship plans to carry out operations south of the Greek island of Kastelorizo, close to the Turkish coast.
Last month, Turkey withdrew "Oruj Reis" from disputed waters "to give diplomacy a chance" before an EU summit meeting.
Ankara and Athens have recently held political and military talks under the auspices of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to calm tensions by establishing a mechanism to prevent any military confrontations between the two sides.
However, the truce did not last long, as Greece recently announced naval exercises in a disputed area, which angered Turkey, which decided to hold similar maneuvers.