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Turkey says its exploration ship Oruc Reis will carry out seismic studies in a disputed area of the eastern Mediterranean until September 12, prompting an angry response from neighboring Greece.
Meanwhile, Turkey’s foreign minister said Tuesday that his country favors a dialogue with rival Greece that would lead to a fair sharing of resources in the eastern Mediterranean.
In a press conference with his Algerian counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu also accused Greece of participating in “acts of provocation” in the region with the backing of the European Union, which has threatened to impose sanctions on Ankara.
“We are in favor of a joint solution that involves sitting at the table to negotiate with all parts of the eastern Mediterranean, so that everyone benefits from the resources of the eastern Mediterranean in a fair way or to share [of resources] exactly, “said Cavusoglu.
In recent weeks, Turkish and Greek leaders have engaged in tense rhetoric as their warships have been hiding from each other in the eastern Mediterranean.
The forces of both countries have been conducting a series of military exercises in the seas between Cyprus and the Greek island of Crete. The confrontation broke out when Turkey sent its research vessel, the Oruc Reis, accompanied by warships to search for gas and oil reserves.
‘Rights and justice’
The two NATO allies vehemently disagree over claims over hydrocarbon resources in the area based on conflicting views on the extent of its continental shelves in waters dotted mostly by Greek islands.
Both sides have conducted military exercises in the eastern Mediterranean, highlighting the potential for the dispute to escalate.
The Turkish navy announced the extension of the Oruc Reis mission late Monday; it was previously scheduled to end on September 1.
The warning came after the European Union executive on Monday called for dialogue with Turkey and demanded that Ankara refrain from taking unilateral measures to fuel tensions in the eastern Mediterranean.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has threatened Greece with military action, described Turkey’s activities in the eastern Mediterranean as the “search for [its] rights and justice “and denounced what he said were Greek efforts to” imprison “Turkey in a small region surrounding its coast.
“The efforts to descend on the riches of the Mediterranean, which are the rights of all the countries that surround it, is an example of modern colonialism,” Erdogan said.
He also accused some nations that he did not name of pushing Greece into a confrontation with Turkey.
“It’s comical how (nations) are trying to launch a state that can’t even help itself as bait in the face of a regional and global power like Turkey,” he said.
Greece, a member of the European Union, claims that the waters are part of its continental shelf and has won the support of the 27-nation bloc, which has condemned Turkey’s “illegal activities” and plans to blacklist related Turkish officials. to energy exploration.
Greece’s Foreign Ministry called the warning illegal and urged Turkey to ease tensions and work for stability in the region.
“Turkey continues to ignore calls for dialogue and increase its provocations,” the ministry said in a statement. “Greece will not be blackmailed.”
Greece will continue to seek maritime agreements with its neighbors in the region, based on international law and the law of the sea, the ministry added.
Last week, Greece ratified an agreement on maritime borders with Egypt, following a similar agreement signed between Turkey and Libya.
The seismic surveys are part of the preparatory work for a possible hydrocarbon exploration. Turkey has also been exploring hydrocarbon resources in the Black Sea and discovered a 320 billion cubic meter (11.3 trillion cubic feet) gas field.
Separately, Turkey also said it will conduct a military exercise off northwestern Cyprus until September 11.
Last week, the EU said it was preparing to impose sanctions on Turkey, including tough economic measures, unless progress is made on reducing rising tensions with Greece and Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean.
Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay called the EU threat “hypocritical”.
