Turkey deploys oceanographic vessel Piri Reis to the Aegean for research – Athens responds with counter-Navtex

Calm has ended successful the Aegean, arsenic Ankara issued a caller Navtex, announcing that the oceanographic vessel Piri Reis volition behaviour technological probe for 10 days successful maritime areas of the archipelago.

According to the applicable announcement, the probe programme concerns the maritime portion westbound of Lesvos, southbound of Chios, and up to the islet of Kalogeros, located betwixt Chios and Andros.

Although the Piri Reis has the method capableness to transportation retired specified measurements, the occupation lies successful who has the authorization to contented a NAVTEX, since its planned way passes done Greek territorial waters and covers parts of the Greek continental shelf.

Additionally, interest is raised by the information that the vas is scheduled to determination adjacent the islet of Kalogeros, an country that is included astir year-round successful a imperishable firing scope of the Hellenic Armed Forces.

Athens instantly responded with a counter-NAVTEX (154/25 from the Lemnos Station), rejecting the Turkish claims. In the coming period, the people of the Turkish oceanographic vas volition go clear, and it volition beryllium intimately monitored by Greek authorities.

Ankara’s determination comes astatine a clip erstwhile the vigor concern successful the Eastern Mediterranean is backmost successful the spotlight, pursuing Chevron’s authoritative connection for probe successful maritime areas southbound of Crete and discussions connected the Greece–Cyprus energy interconnection.