December 23 (SeeNews) - Turkey has extended the hydrocarbons exploration operations of its Oruc Reis vessel in the eastern Mediterranean until June 15, 2021, the country's office of navigation, hydrography and oceanography said.
The Ataman and Cengiz Han vessels will accompany Oruc Reis in its operations, the office of navigation said on Tuesday in a navigational warning to vessels in an area in the eastern Mediterranean disputed by Turkey and Greece.
Tensions between Ankara and Athens heightened after Turkey sent the Oruc Reis to conduct a seismic survey in search for natural gas close to the Greek island of Kastellorizo.
Turkey argues that Kastellorizo and several other Greek islands are located on the Turkish continental shelf, implying that distances of a country's continental shelf should be measured from the continental mainland. Greece claims that all islands must be taken into account on an equal basis in the drawing of maritime boundaries.