ANKARA: Turkey will redeploy the research ship at the centre of an energy row with Greece to the eastern Mediterranean on Monday, a decision slammed by Athens as a "direct threat to peace".
The row over gas exploration in the eastern Mediterranean saw the two NATO countries stage rival military drills in August in strategic waters between Cyprus and the Greek island of Crete.
Greece claims rights over the waters around its island of Kastellorizo but Turkey says the island's close proximity to its longer coastline makes the territory a legitimate area for its vessels to explore.
The Turkish navy said the Oruc Reis ship will carry out activities in the region, including the south of Kastellorizo, until October 22 in a message sent to the maritime alert system NAVTEX late on Sunday.
The vessel will be joined in the latest "seismic survey" mission by two other ships called Ataman and Cengiz Han, the message said.
Turkish Energy Minister Fatih Donmez delivered a defiant message via Twitter on Monday that Turkey "will continue to search, dig and protect our rights".
"If there is (natural gas), we will absolutely find it," he said.
But Greece's foreign ministry on Monday lambasted the move as a "direct threat to regional peace and security" and accused Turkey of being unreliable.
The ministry added Ankara did not "sincerely desire dialogue".
In turn, the Turkish foreign ministry slammed its Greek counterpart's statement, criticising Athens's "maximalist" demands.
"It's not acceptable for there to be a challenge to the activities 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) away from the mainland of our country which has the longest coastline in the eastern Mediterranean," it said in a statement.
Ankara first deployed the Oruc Reis and warships to disputed waters on August 10 and extended the mission, ignoring repeated calls to stop by Greece and the European Union.
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