The situation is tense since several weeks between the two countries, deteriorated on Monday after the deployment by Ankara of a vessel to seismic research.
The discovery in recent years of vast gas deposits in the eastern Mediterranean has sharpened the appetite of neighboring countries such as Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Egypt and Israel.
in recent times, the research Turkish of hydrocarbons in the eastern Mediterranean, particularly off the coast of Cyprus, have raised the wrath of most of the countries of the region. After a few days of suspension as a sign of appeasement, the president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has finally announced Friday the resumption of exploration in turkey, in response to the signing of an agreement by sea between Athens and Cairo, which has aroused the wrath of Ankara.
This agreement is intended to delimit the maritime boundaries between Greece and Egypt, and seems to be a direct response to a similar agreement concluded in November between Turkey and the official government of libya, which has its headquarters in Tripoli. Ankara relies on its agreement with Tripoli in order to justify its right to conduct research in the eastern Mediterranean.
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Why the voltage is-it up a notch?
The situation is tense for several weeks, has deteriorated on Monday after the deployment by Ankara of a research vessel seismic, escorted by military vessels, in an area of the Mediterranean, fought and rich in gas deposits.
“Our research vessel seismic Oruç Reis (…) has reached the place where it will perform its work in the Mediterranean sea”, said on Twitter the Turkish minister of Energy Fatih Dönmez.
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The Turkish navy has also released an information memorandum to ships (Navtex) indicating that the Oruç Reis would lead his research from 10 to 23 August, in an area located between the islands of Crete, in southern Greece, and Cyprus and off the coast of the Turkish city of Antalya.
For its part, Athens has complained about a violation of its maritime boundaries, and announced that it will “file a request for a summit of emergency the foreign Affairs Council of the european Union”, according to statements Tuesday by the Greek Prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. “We call on Turkey to leave without delay on the continental shelf of greece (…) we are not going to accept the accomplished fact”, warned this afternoon Nikos Dendias, Greek minister of foreign Affairs.
What to reproach Greece to Turkey?
Greece accuses Turkey of “threatening peace” in the eastern Mediterranean. The Greek ministry of foreign Affairs has estimated that the decision by turkey to send its seismic vessel research Oruc Reis was “a new serious escalation” and “showed” the “role destabilizing” of the Turkey. Greece “will not accept any blackmail” and “will defend its sovereignty and its sovereign rights”, according to a press release of the ministry published after the meeting of the heads of the armed forces convened emergency.
Greece has called on Tuesday the european Union to hold an emergency meeting on the Turkey. Athens, who condemned a violation of its maritime boundaries, “will file a request for a summit of emergency the foreign Affairs Council of the european Union”, said on Tuesday the Greek Prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
“Greece will defend its sovereign rights (…) there will be no tolerance of attempts Turkish”, said the Greek minister, Nikos Dendias to the media.
Deeming the situation “extremely worrying”, the european diplomacy has also called this Tuesday in “dialogue”. “The events on the ground show unfortunately that (…) more needs to be done to defuse the tensions”, said Peter Stano, a spokesman for the head of european diplomacy Josep Borrell.
can The situation get even worse?
The discovery in recent years of vast gas deposits in the eastern Mediterranean has sharpened the appetite of the riparian countries, and heightened tensions between Turkey and Greece, two allies within Nato relations, regularly punctuated by crises.
a Sign that the current tensions could escalate further, the head of the diplomacy of the Turkish Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday that Ankara would extend its search for gas in the eastern Mediterranean.
“from the end of August, we will issue permits to conduct new research and drilling in new areas (…) in the western part of our continental shelf,” said Cavusoglu, at a press conference in Ankara.
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The Greek navy has located that Tuesday, the Oruç Reis to the south-east of the island of Crete : he is escorted by five ships Turkish military, all under the supervision of warships the greeks. Turkey has clarified that the vessel would conduct searches from 10 to 23 August, in an area located off the province Turkish Antalya, between the islands of Crete, in southern Greece, and Cyprus. For Athens, this area is part of its maritime territory in raiits the presence of the small island of Kastellorizo just off the coast of Antalya.
In addition, as reported in the site Opex360.com the Turkish ministry of Defense has published photos on which one can see the Oruç Reis, escorted by four notices A69 – France has delivered six to the Turkish navy between 2000 and 2002, as well as a frigate Meko.
But the Greek side as Turkish, the time seems for the time being to the declarations of firmness. “No project that does not involve Turkey (…) in the eastern Mediterranean is not likely to see the light of day”, said on Tuesday the Turkish minister of Defence, quoted by the news agency, state-owned Anadolu.
