Turkey Extends Exploration in Disputed Mediterranean Waters to Oct. 27

Turkey announced on Wednesday that it has extended the missiin duration of its Oruc Reis survey vessel and two other ships in a disputed area of the eastern Mediterranean until October 27, in a move likely to further escalate tensions in the region, according to Sputnik news agency.

Two other vessels, the Ataman and Cengiz Han, along with Oruc Reis will continue working in an area southeast of the Greek island of Rhodes until October 27, according to Turkey's Navy.

The vessels had previously been scheduled to work until October 22.

During a tripartite summit on Wednesday, Egypt, Greece, and Cyprus agreed on the necessity of “combating escalation policies aimed at shaking the region's stability,” in an apparent reference to Turkey’s policies in the East Mediterranean.

It is worth mentioning that, tensions escalated dangerously in recent months between Greece and Turkey, long time rivals in the Mediterranean, and between Cyprus and Turkey, which have clashed bitterly over the pided island since a Turkish invasion in 1974.

Greece and Cyprus have also accused Turkey of violating their sovereignty by drilling or exploring for gas in parts of the eastern Mediterranean that the two EU countries each claim as their own territorial waters.