The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement claiming the area that was bound by the NAVTEX it issued yesterday in Kastelorizo, is within its own continental shelf. The statement goes so far as to claim that it invites Greece to dialogue at all levels, adding “it will continue to defend its legal rights and interests deriving from international law.”
In its announcement, the Turkish Foreign Minister states that “in the context of the ongoing activities for the exploration of hydrocarbons of our country in the Eastern Mediterranean, a NAXTEX was issued which was published by our competent authorities from July 21, 2020 that our research vessel Oruc Reis will carry out a new seismic research activity in the Eastern Mediterranean.”
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The same announcement states that the research vessel will conduct research in an area that has previously been surveyed by the RV Barbaros Hayreddin Paşa, while in other places the following is mentioned:
Greece opposed this research activity and claimed that the research area was located on its continental shelf. Greece bases this claim on the existence of islands, far from the mainland. This maximalist claim of Greece is contrary to international law, jurisprudence and court decisions.
For this reason, we reject these claims of Greece. “Although Turkey has reiterated its call for dialogue at all levels with Greece, as has been stated on several occasions to date, it will continue to defend its legal rights and interests under international law.”
