Turkey issues two navigational warnings for Russian live-fire exercises
Turkey on Wednesday issued two navigational telexes for Russian naval exercises with live fire, reserving areas of the Eastern Mediterranean where Turkish seismic survey vessels are conducting illegal searches for oil and gas.
Issued by the Turkish navy’s Office of Navigation, Hydrography and Oceanography, navtex number 1102/20 announces exercises for September 8-22 covering an area south of Kastellorizo where the Turkish seismic survey vessel Oruc Reis is currently active, but which is outside the Greek continental shelf and Athens’ jurisdiction.
The second navtex – numbered 1103/20 – is for live-fire Russian exercises from September 17-25 off the coast of Cyprus in an area where Turkey’s Barbaros seismic survey vessel is active. Nicosia has issued notices to airmen (notam) in response to the navtex, which came shortly after the United States announced the lifting of an embargo for non-lethal weapons on Cyprus.
