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After threats of sanctions from the European Union, and information that Turkey and Greece are about to hold talks to give diplomacy a chance, the Turkish seismic exploration ship leaves the Mediterranean and returns to the port of Antalya, in southern Turkey.
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The Turkish ship leaves the waters of the Mediterranean and returns to the port of Antalya, in southern Turkey.
The Turkish exploration ship “Aruj Reis” for seismic survey that was sent to a disputed area in the eastern Mediterranean rich in natural gas, and that generated tension with Greece, has returned to the Turkish port of Antalya, as reported this Sunday on Sunday. Turkish daily Yeni Safak.
The newspaper reported that Turkish authorities did not extend the ship’s mission, which ended on Saturday, noting that it had returned to the port in the south of the country.
The newspaper noted that the decision not to extend its mission is a “step to give diplomacy a chance,” noting that this is linked to attempts to start talks between Greece and Turkey.
NATO announced that Turkey and Greece had agreed to initiate “technical talks”, with the aim of preventing accidents between their fleets in the eastern Mediterranean.
Athens, for its part, denied it, despite the fact that the Turkish Defense Ministry announced last Thursday that negotiations had begun between the two delegations of the two countries, at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
Turkey has expressed several times that it is ready for dialogue without preconditions, but Greece stressed that the talks could not take place before Ankara stopped its “threats”.
Greek government spokesman Stelios Petsas said on “Sky TV” today Sunday: “There is no new positive maritime notification on Navtex.”
On the other hand, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar accused Greece of arming 18 islands in the Aegean Sea, in violation of international law, and noted that this “increases tension and undermines dialogue.”
According to Anadolu Agency, Akar called on Greece to stop provocative actions that could increase tension.
Akar said that “from Turkey’s point of view, the tension and provocative movements will not benefit anyone, especially Greece.”
“We support dialogue and we want to resolve the region’s problems through peaceful and political means,” he added.
Regarding the decision to return the eastern Mediterranean exploration ship, a step which Athens welcomed, Akar explained: “The ship returned to the port of Antalya within the framework of our plans, and this does not mean giving up our rights.”
This comes after Greece decided to improve its military capabilities by purchasing 18 French Rafale aircraft.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis considered that this occurs in the context of “strengthening the capabilities of the armed forces” within the framework of “a strong program that will become a national shield.” He also accused Turkey of “threatening” the borders of Eastern Europe.
Mitsotakis said the situation “needs dialogue, but not when the gun is pointed at the head”, alluding to the Turkish threats to Athena.
He noted that new anti-tank weapons, naval “torpedoes” and aerial missiles would be provided. He explained that the government’s weapons program, which includes modernizing four other existing frigates, is also designed to create thousands of jobs.
On August 10, Turkey deployed the ship in waters near a Greek island, and extended its mission three times, despite repeated calls from the European Union and Greece to end this mission.
In a sign of increasing tension, parallel military exercises were recently held in the eastern Mediterranean, involving Turkish and American ships on the one hand, and Greek, Cypriot, French and Italian ships on the other.
Last Thursday, the leaders of the seven southern countries of the European Union threatened to impose European sanctions on Turkey if it did not end its “unilateral activities” in the eastern Mediterranean.
In the context, the Secretary of State of the United States, Mike Pompeo, signed a memorandum of understanding in Cyprus for training in maritime border security.
Pompeo expressed concern about Turkey’s exploration activities in the eastern Mediterranean. He also emphasized that the tensions in the region will not bring solutions to the problems in the eastern Mediterranean, highlighting the need for an agreement on maritime issues.
The seven European countries bordering the Mediterranean, at the end of their summit on the situation in the eastern Mediterranean, confirmed their readiness to impose sanctions on Turkey unless it withdraws from what it described as its unilateral moves in the region.
On the other hand, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said: “The European Union has no jurisdiction over the issue of maritime borders.”
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