ATHENS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th August, 2020) Greece and France have conducted joint naval exercises in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, including an area that is subject to a Turkish Navtex warning for potential seismic surveys, the Hellenic National Defense General Staff said in a press release on Thursday.
"On Thursday, August 13, in the framework of the ongoing military cooperation between Greece and France, joint naval exercises were held using the resources and personnel of the two countries in the eastern Mediterranean region, including an area reserved by a Turkish Navtex for illegal research," the General Staff said.
The exercises involved four Greek ships and a pair of French vessels. Both sides cooperated on operational readiness and combat effectiveness, and also conducted joint operational planning and maneuvers, the Greek military said.
Earlier in the day, the French Defense Ministry announced that one vessel and two jets would be dispatched to the region amid escalating tensions between Greece and Turkey over the latter's push to begin hydrocarbon drilling in Greek- and Cypriot-claimed waters.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that the Greek and Greek-Cypriot administrations are to blame for the ongoing confrontation in the region, adding that Ankara would never violate the territorial integrity of another nation.
The Oruc Reis seismic exploration vessel is currently operating in the region, under the protection of Turkish naval ships.
