Turkish ‘provocation’ will not go unanswered, Greek PM warns

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis warned Turkey on Wednesday against continuing its seismic surveying for offshore resources in contested areas of the eastern Mediterranean.

Greece has deployed naval vessels and the air force to shadow Turkey’s seismic exploration ship Oruç Reis, which arrived with Turkish warships on Monday to its area of operation in a territorially disputed area – a move which Athens described as a threat to peace and stability in the region.

“We will never be the ones to escalate the situation. Yet, self-restraint is only one aspect of our power,” said the Associated Press, citing Mitsotakis in a televised statement on Wednesday evening. “No provocation will … go unanswered. We have demonstrated that we will respond, if necessary. And we will do so again if it is required.”

The prime minister said Greece “(does) not fear even the toughest dialogue”, as it had faith in its positions, but that “dialogue becomes irrelevant in a climate of tension and provocation”.

He warned that the military build-up by Turkey and Greece could spark an incident, in which case Ankara would be held responsible.

“Let it be known: The risk of an accident lurks when so many military assets are gathered in such a contained area,” Mitsotakis said. “In such a case, responsibility lies upon the one who gives rise to these circumstances.”

The latest dispute revolves around the small Greek island of Kastellorizo, 2 km from Turkey’s southern coastline, that became a flashpoint between Greek and Turkish naval forces last month.

The two countries reached the brink of an armed confrontation at the end of July after Ankara’s decision to send the Oruç Reis escorted by warships to Kastellorizo to conduct oil and gas exploration. Ankara later said it would pause exploration and drilling for hydrocarbons in the eastern Mediterranean for a month to reduce tensions with Greece and the European Union.

On Friday, however, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced his country would resume exploration in territory disputed with Athens, a day after Greece and Egypt signed a maritime deal that sets the sea boundary between the two countries and demarcates an exclusive economic zone for oil and gas drilling rights.