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Turkish survey ship returns to base ahead of EU meet

Monday, 30 November 2020 11:09 AM [ Last Update: Monday, 30 November 2020 11:09 AM ]

A file photo of Turkey's seismic exploration vessel Oruc Reis.

Turkey has decided to once again return home its seismic research vessel from the disputed waters in the eastern Mediterranean Sea ahead of a European Union meeting.

Oruc Reis returned to Antalya port on Monday morning, media said citing Refinitiv ship tracking data.

The mapping vessel occupies a centerpiece place in an ongoing territorial dispute between NATO partners Turkey and Greece over drilling rights in the energy-rich continental shelf hidden under the waters in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Greece denounces as ‘illegal’ Turkey’s extension of survey mission in Mediterranean Sea

Greece has condemned Turkey’s decision to once again extend the work of its seismic research vessel in disputed waters in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, vowing to lodge a complaint against Ankara.

"Our ship, which has collected 10,995 km of 2D seismic data, has returned to the Antaliya port," the Turkish Ministry of Energy said in a tweet.

The vessel had previously returned to base ahead of another EU summit in October.

However, the ship went back to sea and resumed its mapping duties in the disputed waters after the summit ended with unsatisfactory results.

Athens has said that as long as the vessel is mapping the sea, it will not negotiate with Ankara to find a solution to the territorial dispute.

Turkey says the EU, which aims to slap sanctions on Ankara, has taken sides with Greece in the dispute.

Turkey part of Europe, but won't bow down to pressure, double standards: Erdogan

President Erdogan says Turkey sees itself as an inseparable part of Europe but will not give in to attacks and double standards in order to gain the full membership of the European Union.

France sent a warship to the region after tensions flared up between the quarreling sides, Athens, Ankara and their links in Cyprus earlier this year.

EU leaders are scheduled to meet in Brussels in mid-December to discuss various issues, including finding a way to reach a solution for the dispute with Turkey.

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