Greece responded to the extension of the illegal Turkish NAVTEX with its own advisory for a big aeronautical exercise within the Greek continental shelf in the wider area of SE Crete, Karpathos, Rhodes and South Kastelorizo.
According to Hellenic National Defence General Staff (GEETHA) sources, Turkey issued an extension of its NAVTEX that expired on Sunday with a new one that ends on Thursday at 23:59 pm.
The Greek naval exercise is the response to Turkey’s move and will run from early Tuesday, August 25, until the evening of Thursday, August 27.
Turkish seismic research ship Oruc Reis is currently inside Greece’s continental shelf supported by seven Turkish warships. Two Greek Navy ships are close by monitoring their moves. Also, several Turkish warships have been spotted outside Greek territorial waters.
According to ANA-MPA, on Sunday night Oruc Reis sailed inside the Greek continental shelf in a southwesterly direction and inside the previously illegally issued Turkish NAVTEX.
Experts believe that the extension of Turkey’s illegal NAVTEX is considered to be connected with Wednesday’s expected ratification by the Greek Parliament of the Greece-Egypt agreement on the demarkation of the exclusive economic zones of the two countries, to which Ankara opposes.
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