News Agencies – Relations between Greece and Turkey worsened recently after Turkey announced that its surveying ship Oruc Reis had started seismic exploration activities in a disputed zone of the eastern Mediterranean south of Antalya and west of Cyprus.
Speaking at an opening ceremony in the eastern Black Sea province of Rize, the Turkish president said the Oruç Reis survey ship will continue energy exploration until Aug. 23, he added.
Erdoğan also warned that “those who forced Turkey out of its East Mediterranean energy resources 100 years ago” will not be able to stop the country to reclaim its rights.
Ankara was prompted to begin its seismic research in the area after Greece and Egypt had signed a maritime deal on an exclusive economic zone in the eastern Mediterranean. Turkey then criticised the deal, saying that the area of this zone was located on Turkey’s continental shelf.
The ship will continue the two-week mission until August 23 along with the ships Cengiz Han and Ataman.
Seismic surveys are part of the preparatory work for potential hydrocarbon exploration. Oruç Reis seismic research ship can perform all kinds of geological, geophysical, hydrographic and oceanographic research, especially the continental shelf and natural resource searches.
