Turkey issues new NAVTEX blocking Kastelorizo
Turkey issued a navigational telex (NAVTEX) to announce that it is reserving an area surrounding the territorial waters of the small Greek island of Kastelorizo in the southeastern Aegean on October 31, for a search and rescue exercise.
According to the marine advisory, the Turkish Navy will block the area to marine traffic for four hours, starting at 11 p.m.
Commenting on the move, New Democracy shadow foreign minister George Koumoutsakos accused Turkey of irresponsibility and stoking tension between the two countries.
“The new unacceptable Turkish NAVTEX and Turkey's persistently infringing behavior maintain and feed the tension in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean,” he said in a statement.
“Ankara thus tests the stability and peace in this sensitive area. This irresponsible attitude must be opposed not only by Greece and the affected states, but by the entire international community,” he added.
