Hydrocarbons. Turkey sends warships to Greek waters – Turkey sends warships to Greek waters
EUROPE – GREECE – TURKEY – INTERNATIONAL COURIER – PARIS – Posted on 22/07/2020
Tension has been at its height since Tuesday evening July 21 between Greece and Turkey. Ankara has dispatched 18 warships to Greek territorial waters, and an underwater oil research vessel is about to set sail for Kastellorizo Island. The Greek press is headlong.
Greece is on “High alert”, headlines Ta Nea in front page. The country’s press is unanimous after the new Ankara “provocation” in the Aegean Sea. “Everything went very quickly,” explains the center-left newspaper, which fears an “incident” between the two countries, with already strained relations.
On July 21, says Ekathimerini, Turkey announced by Navtex (an international maritime information system) its intention to conduct seismic analyzes south and east of the Greek island of Kastellorizo - to a handful of kilometers from the Turkish coast – during the period from July 21 to August 2.
“Ankara has rushed to send 18 warships off the island, and the submarine oil research vessel Oruç Reis is due to leave the port of Antalya for the area,” Ta Nea reports.
A new Turkish provocation
Beyond submarine drilling in the eastern Mediterranean, in which Turkey wants to participate to obtain a share of the hydrocarbon resources, Ankara seems to want to arrogate to itself several Greek islands, including that of Kastellorizo, the most distant from Athens, estimates the newspaper. “Last November,” he recalls, “Ankara signed an illegal agreement with the government in Tripoli, Libya, to establish an Exclusive Economic Zone between the two countries. However, this EEZ includes Greek islands, including Kastellorizo and Crete, which Athens has since denounced, in all areas ”.
Ta Nea adds that the Greek government immediately sounded the alarm bells, recalling its soldiers and freezing all military leave. “The Greek fleet is ready to react,” the newspaper said.
“Yesterday evening the German Chancellor spoke by telephone with the Greek Prime Minister and the Turkish President, while the US State Department called on Turkey to stop its action.”
With less than 48 hours before the first prayer, which will take place at Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia, transformed back into a mosque, the Turkish president’s attitude is seen as a new provocation.
courrierinternational.com/article/hydrocarbures-la-turquie-envoie-des-navires-de-guerre-en-eaux-grecques?
English translation – LOUSAVOR AVEDIS:
