Turkey Announces Navy Drills In Aegean Sea In Tit-for-Tat Response To Greece

ANKARA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th June, 2021) Turkey has issued a notification via the international automated system Navtex to declare drills in the Aegean Sea in response to a similar move by Greece, a Turkish military source told Sputnik.

"Contrary to the provisions of the 1988 Athens Memorandum of Understanding, the Greek authorities declared the international waters of the Aegean Sea a military exercise zone during the tourist season. In response, Turkey issued own Navtex notification on June 22 to declare the international waters of the Aegean Sea an exercise zone," the source said.

Under the Athens memorandum, the sides committed to a moratorium on military drills in the international waters of the Aegean Sea during the tourist season from June 15 to September 15.

In recent years, Turkish-Greek relations have grown increasingly tense due to competing claims in the Mediterranean. Greece accuses Turkey of violating international rules in the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean due to its natural gas drilling. Turkey claims that the drilling activities are based on its legitimate rights.