Washington on Tuesday called on an increasingly aggressive Erdogan Turkey to halt any plans for hydrocarbon exploration in the eastern Mediterranean and to avoid actions that increase tension.
A statement by the US State Department underlined that the “United States is aware that Turkey has issued a Navtex for (hydrocarbon) research in disputed waters in the eastern Mediterranean...We urge Turkish authorities to halt any plans for operations in the eastern Mediterranean and to avoid steps that raise tensions in the region."
Hours earlier, Turkey issued a navigational telex (Navtex) announcing its intention to send specialized vessels for seismic surveys south and southeast of the small Greek isle of Kastellorizo until Aug. 2.
Kastellorizo lies in the extreme southeast Aegean, and very close to the southwestern corner of Asia Minor.
