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Greek Foreign Ministry Slams Turkey for Extending Seismic Survey in Disputed Area

ATHENS (Sputnik) - The Greek Foreign Ministry has accused Turkey of provocations and undermining stability in the Eastern Mediterranean following Ankara's decision to extend its seismic survey in a disputed area.
Sputnik

"Turkey continues to diligently perform its role of a disruptor and instability factor in the region, ignore calls for dialogue and intensify its provocations to end up in a dead-end on its own volition, undermine security and stability in the region, having made the international community to take action," the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry added that Athens would not succumb to blackmail and continue to work toward delimitation of borders with all of the countries in the region.

Turkey has already extended survey activities by its Oruc Reis vessel twice. The last extension ended on Monday night, after which Ankara issued another Navtex message, prolonging the survey until 12 September.

The Turkish-Greek tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean have escalated after Ankara began exploration drilling in the Greek-claimed waters in early August. Athens considers this territory to be its exclusive economic zone and has mobilized its armed forces to high alert, vowing to protect its sovereign rights by all means necessary.

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