“Turkey’s issuing of a new illegal Navtex, in which it reserves the maritime region within the Greek continental shelf south of Rhodes for illegal seismic surveys, shows yet again that Turkey, through its ongoing and escalating provocative conduct in violation of international legality, has complete disregard for the fundamental rules of International Law. It behaves like a pariah-state that aims to destabilise the region and dramatically increase tensions,” the Greek foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday.
“This illegal action contravenes any effort towards de-escalation,” it stressed.
“At the same time, the Turkish side’s repeated illegal actions, which defy the constant appeals of the International Community, including the recent Conclusions of the European Council on the immediate cessation of these actions, expose the Turkish side even further. Greece unequivocally condemns this unacceptable conduct, which essentially further undermines the prospect of a constructive dialogue, and calls on Turkey to immediately retract the illegal Navtex it issued in the early hours of this morning,” according to the announcement.
In this context, Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias issued instructions for a demarche to be made immediately to the Turkish side and for Greece’s allies and partners to be notified of Turkey’s ongoing provocative conduct.
