Ankara Rejects Greece's Protest Over Turkish Mediterranean Seismic Survey

ANKARA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th August, 2020) Ankara rejects Athens' claims over its seismic research in the Mediterranean, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hami Aksoy said on Monday, adding that a maritime deal between Greece and Egypt signed last week violated his county's right for continental shelf in the region.

Earlier in the day, Turkey issued a Navtex message about seismic surveys in the eastern Mediterranean from August 10-23. The Greek Foreign Ministry accused Turkey of escalating tensions in the region and called on Ankara to stop it immediately.

"Greece demonstrated by its pirate agreement with Egypt on August 6 that it was not sincere and honest about the dialogue. This agreement violated the right of our country and Libya to the continental shelf in the eastern Mediterranean. After that, our vessel Oruc Reis started the previously planned seismic research activity. There is no legal basis for Greece to oppose it," Aksoy stated.

According to him, Turkey's research activities on the continental shelf were suspended for a while upon the instructions of the Turkish president.

"This gesture of goodwill, which we made at the request of Germany and the EU to give diplomacy a chance, was not reciprocated. Based on this, Turkey will resolutely continue its planned activities on the basis of international law. The side that is increasing tensions in the Mediterranean is Greece, not Turkey," the spokesperson said.

Athens has made multiple protests over Ankara's attempts to begin hydrocarbon drilling in the eastern Mediterranean, particularly after Turkey signed a new maritime border deal with Libya's UN-recognized Government of National Accord this past November.

Greece and Egypt on Thursday signed a new agreement on an exclusive economic zone in the Mediterranean that would set out marine borders and demarcate oil and gas drilling rights. Ankara denounced the deal.