Greece to complain Turkey over Piri Reis

ATHENS - The Associated Press

Greek Foreign Ministry said a Turkish research ship has entered an area of the Greek continental shelf in the Aegean Sea, and it will formally complain to Turkey’s government.

The ministry said the Piri Reis entered the area northwest of the island of Mytilene yesterday afternoon without having informed Athens, as it should have under the international law of the sea. The area is outside Greek territorial waters, but Athens claims the rights to potential undersea mineral and fossil fuel deposits.

The ship had issued a general navigational message saying it intended to carry out biological and oceanographic research, the ministry said. Turkey has carried out a seismic search for fuel sources in the Mediterranean in response to a Greek Cypriot search, which Turkey opposes on the ground that it undermines the rights of Turkish Cypriots. Turkey and Greece also have long-running disputes over delineating the Mediterranean and Aegean seas for exploration.