On Monday, the Greek Foreign Ministry called on Turkey to immediately end its illegal oil and gas drilling activities in the eastern Mediterranean. It dubbed such activities as “provocative”, and described them as “undermining the peace and stability of the region.”
In a statement, the Ministry confirmed that the Greek government will defend its sovereignty and national rights.
The Greek government convened an emergency meeting of the Foreign and Defence Council (KYSEA), chaired by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, at Maximos Mansion. It called on Turkey to stop what it called its “illegal actions” in the Mediterranean.
The statement also said that the renewed oil exploration and drilling activity, which restarted after last week’s declaration of a joint Greek-Egyptian maritime deal, was “a new, serious escalation which lays bare Turkey’s role as a destabilising and peace-threatening nation.”
In its announcement, the Ministry declared that “Greece will not accept any blackmail and will defend its sovereign rights”. Earlier on Monday, the Turkish Navy issued a new advisory stating that its oil and gas exploratory ship, ‘Oruc Reis’, would carry out seismic surveys just south of the Greek island of Kastellorizo, over the next two weeks.