Turkey has announced plans for a research vessel to conduct a ten-day survey in parts of the Aegean Sea that Greece considers its continental shelf, a move Athens immediately declared invalid as tensions rise in the region.
Turkey issued a NAVTEX, a maritime advisory, for its oceanographic vessel, the Koca Piri Reis, to carry out a mission in areas west of Lesbos and south of Chios.
The planned route intrudes into waters over which Greece claims jurisdiction, including an area near the islet of Kalogeros, which is a Greek military firing range.
The Greek government responded by issuing a counter-NAVTEX, stating that the Turkish announcement is invalid as it was issued by a station that does not have authority over the specified area.
Greek officials said they are closely monitoring the vessel's movements.
The move comes amid a complex geopolitical backdrop, including the recent entry of U.S. energy firm Chevron into gas exploration south of Crete in a block also contested by Turkey, and a separate dispute between Greece and Cyprus over an electricity interconnection project.