The Turkish Navy will continue to protect the country’s Oruç Reis vessel during its seismic research in the Mediterranean, the Turkish Defense Ministry said on Thursday.
TURKISH VESSEL WILL CONTINUE THE TWO-WEEK MISSION UNTIL AUG. 23
In a Twitter post, the ministry said: “The Turkish Naval Forces, the protectors of our naval rights and maritime jurisdiction, continue to support and protect Oruç Reis seismic research vessel with the same accompanying ships since the beginning of the research,”
A Greek and a Turkish warship were involved in a mini-collision on Wednesday during a standoff in the eastern Mediterranean.
TURKISH KEMAL REIS BLOCKADED GREEK SHIP
Oruç Reis ship has been moving in the region, shadowed by a number of Greek frigates. One of them, the Limnos, was approaching the survey vessel when it came into the path of one of its Turkish naval escorts, the Kemal Reis.
The Greek frigate manoeuvred to avoid a head-on collision and in the process its bow touched the rear of the Turkish frigate.
Oruç Reis will continue the two-week mission until Aug. 23 along with the ships Cengiz Han and Ataman.
Turkey has consistently opposed Greece’s efforts to declare an exclusive economic zone based on small islands near Turkish shores, violating the interests of Turkey, the country with the longest coastline in the Mediterranean