Tsipras calls on gov’t to prevent Turkish drilling, expresses confidence in Armed Forces
Main opposition leader Alexis Tsipras called on the government to prevent Turkey’s Oruc Reis survey ship from drilling south of Kastellorizo and to request an emergency meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council to discuss rising tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean.
In comments published after a call with Premier Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Tuesday, he said the Armed Forces know how to prevent Turkish ships from drilling inside Greece’s continental shelf because they have done it before in a similar incident in October 2018.
“The way in which these illegal seismic activities must and can be prevented is known to our Armed Forces since October 2018, when they attempted it effectively. We have full confidence in their abilities,” he said on his official Facebook page.
Tsipras also said he asked Mitsotakis to “stop leaking unsubstantiated arguments,” such as that the Turkish vessel’s exploratory activities were somehow obstructed or even rendered impossible due to the noise caused by the many ships sailing in the area.
“What concerns us is not the quality of Turkish exploratory activities, but the fact that Oruc Reis violates the sovereign rights of our homeland,” he continued.
