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This confrontation spans a series of disputes that have led to mounting tensions between the two sides in recent months.
Turkey announced plans on Friday to start drilling in the next three to four months in search of oil and gas fields in the eastern Mediterranean.
Ankara last year signed a controversial agreement with the United Nations-recognized Libyan government in Tripoli to corroborate Turkey’s claims over large maritime areas.
The deal angered neighboring countries, including Greece, for failing to consider the island of Crete.
Cyprus, a member of the European Union, was also outraged that Turkey had sent ships to search for oil and gas off the coast of this divided island.
The EU has repeatedly called on Turkey to suspend its exploration of energy resources off the coast of Cyprus, arguing that such actions are illegal because they violate the island’s exclusive economic zone.
Greek Foreign Minister Nick Dendy said in a statement released Monday that Turkey’s request for “oil exploration on the Greek continental shelf is part of a move by a neighboring country to gradually usurp Greece’s sovereignty.”
“Turkey’s illegal actions … cannot be equated with Greek sovereignty based on international and maritime law,” Dendy said, adding that Athens was “ready to respond to this new provocation if Turkey finally implemented it.”
According to the Greek news agency ANA, the government summoned the Turkish ambassador to the Foreign Ministry in Athens on Monday night.
Tensions between Greece and Turkey have recently re-emerged, with Ankara seeking EU support for its military action in Syria and solving migration problems.
In March, Turkey declared that it would not prevent tens of thousands of asylum seekers from reaching the Greek border and trying to cross the territory of the European Union.
Last week, Athens sent 400 police officers “proactively” to its land border with Turkey to avoid a potential new influx of migrants.
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