Greece protested to Turkey in connection with the intention to conduct seismic surveys near the Greek territory, as well as raised this issue in the EU, NATO and the United Nations, reported the Ministry of foreign Affairs of Greece.
The hydrographic service of Antalya on Tuesday released the notification of the international NAVTEX (Navtex) on seismic studies in the South and East of the island of kastellorizo from 21 July to 2 August. In Ankara it was announced that a research ship Oruc Reis will be in the area. There was also a 15 Turkish military vehicles. For this reason the Hellenic armed forces have been alerted across the country. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with foreign Minister Nikos Dendias and held telephone conversations with the Minister of national defence Nikos Panayotopoulos and chief of General staff of national defense Konstantinos Floros.
"Today’s announcement about the Turkish research on the Greek continental shelf (released) a new illegal Turkish Navtex is an escalation of tensions in the region. It demonstrates the persistence of Turkey’s violations and its complete contempt for international law, the law of the sea, rules of good neighborliness, as well as the persuasion of the European Union" – said the foreign Ministry received by RIA Novosti.
"Our Embassy in Ankara has protested to the Turkish foreign Ministry, while our government has raised this issue in the EU, NATO and the UN and in the capitals of the permanent members of the UN security Council", – said the foreign Ministry.
"We call on Turkey to immediately stop its illegal actions that violate our sovereign rights and undermine peace and security in the region. The only path to stability in the region is the observance of international law", – stated in the message.
Relations of Greece and Turkey in recent months has sharply deteriorated due to Turkey’s plans to carry out exploration of mineral deposits in the marine areas, which Greece considers its exclusive economic zone.
Kastelorizo island was at the center of disputes between Greece and Turkey on the delimitation of Maritime zones and the determination of the exclusive economic zone. As stated by the Minister of foreign Affairs of Turkey Mevlut Cavusoglu, the tiny island of kastellorizo area of 10 square kilometers, which is located two kilometers from the Turkish coast and at a distance of 570 kilometers from the Greek continental States, cannot have a continental shelf or EEZ with an area of 40 thousand square kilometers. Turkish officials find it unacceptable that the island creates a zone of Maritime jurisdiction in 4 thousand times more than its own area.
Greece says it Kastelorizo – town acutes, he has the same rights in the Maritime zones and continental areas, regardless of its size.
