News Agencies – Turkish air and naval forces conducted joint drills in the Aegean Sea, the country’s defence ministry said amid a spiralling row with neighbouring Greece over hydrocarbon resources.
F-16 fighter jets took part in the exercises alongside warships to “enhance, maintain and improve the operational capability of joint inter-forces operations,” the ministry posted on Twitter.
The announcement came as NATO members Turkey and Greece are facing off in the eastern Mediterranean Sea over gas and oil exploration and a day after Turkey declared significant gas discoveries in the Black Sea.
Earlier this month, Turkish seismic exploration vessel has reached its new destination to conduct exploratory drilling in the Eastern Mediterranean in an area between Greece and the island of Cyprus.
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.
Greek officials said on Friday that the United Arab Emirates would also dispatch fighter jets to the southern Greek island of Crete for joint training next week.
