(ANSA) - ISTANBUL, OCTOBER 25 - Turkey has again extended the mission of a ship for the exploration of gas in an area that disputes with Greece in the eastern Mediterranean, ignoring calls from the West to withdraw it.
The Turkish Navy warned yesterday with a post on the Navtex maritime alarm system that the Oruc Reis will remain until 4 November in an area on the Greek islands of Rhodes and Kastellorizo.
Ankara had previously indicated that the gas exploration unit, escorted by military ships, would remain in the area until Tuesday.
In a reply message on Navtex, Greece stated that the activity of this Turkish ship is "unauthorized and illegal, in an area covering the Greek continental shelf".
Greek government spokesman Stelios Petsas said today in an interview with Skai TV that the move is "further proof of Turkey's lack of credibility, even in relation to NATO".
NATO condemned on Thursday the escalation of tensions between Turkey and Greece in the eastern Mediterranean and asked the two member countries of the Alliance to respect international law to resolve their differences.
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