Greece calls Turkey’s move to extend east Med survey ‘illegal’

Turkey said it was extending the seismic survey work of its Oruc Reis ship in a disputed area of the eastern Mediterranean until Nov. 4, and Greece responded on Sunday by vowing to lodge a complaint at what it called an “illegal move”.

NATO members Turkey and Greece are locked in a dispute over the extent of their continental shelves and conflicting claims to hydrocarbon resources in the eastern Mediterranean.

The row erupted in August when Turkey sent the Oruc Reis into waters also claimed by Greece and Cyprus, both European Union member states.

Along with two other ships, the Ataman and Cengiz Han, the Oruc Reis will continue work in a location south of the Greek island of Rhodes until Nov. 4, according to a Turkish naval maritime notice issued late on Saturday.

A previous notice scheduled survey work in the area until Oct. 27.

The Greek Foreign Ministry said it would file a complaint with the Turkish side following the new advisory, which Athens said was in an area within the Greek continental shelf.