ISTANBUL: Turkey on Thursday extended its controversial Mediterranean gas exploration mission and scheduled new navy drills as its row with Greece and the EU over energy and borders threatened to spiral out of control.
The Turkish navy said it was prolonging the stay of the Oruc Reis research vessel and its accompanying warships in waters claimed by Greece by an extra five days to Tuesday.
It also announced plans to hold 鈥済unnery exercises鈥� at the edge of its territorial waters in the northeastern corner of the Mediterranean next Tuesday and Wednesday.
Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said the shoopting drills were not related to Turkey鈥檚 fight with Greece over access to newly discovered reserves that could offer Europe a vast new source of energy and cut its dependence on Russia.
But he also defiantly vowed to continue Turkey鈥檚 various exploration activities in the east Mediterranean region for 鈥渁s long as they are needed.鈥�
鈥淲e are determined to protect our rights,鈥� the Turkish defense minister said.
The two NATO members have been staging rival war games in a conflict that could imperil Europe鈥檚 access to vast new energy deposits and further destabilize war-torn Libya and parts of the Middle East.
An increasingly agitated Germany said ahead of an EU foreign ministers鈥� meeting on the crisis in Berlin that both countries had to end their naval manuevers if they really wanted a peaceful solution to the dispute.
鈥淭he preconditions for (direct negotiations) are that these maneuvers in the eastern Mediterranean are stopped,鈥� German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said after completing a failed round of diplomacy in Athens and Ankara this week.
US President Donald Trump also spoke to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday 鈥� his first direct involvement in the fast-developing crisis.
The White House said Trump 鈥渆xpressed concern over increased tension between NATO allies Greece and Turkey.鈥�
The Greek prime minister said afterwords that Athens was 鈥渞eady for a significant de-escalation 鈥� but on condition that Turkey immediately stops its provocative actions.鈥�
Erdogan has already rejected agreeing to preconditions before talking to Greece.
The Turkish presidency said Erdogan 鈥渞eminded (Trump) our country was not the one creating instability in the eastern Mediterranean.鈥�
Erdogan 鈥渆mphasised how Turkey has taken concrete steps which proves it sides with lowering tensions and dialogue,鈥� the presidency said.
Greece鈥檚 European support is led by EU military powerhouse France.
French frigates and fighter jets joined the Greek war games 鈥� also including Italy and Crete 鈥� on Wednesday while Turkey staged smaller ones nearby with a US navy ship.
The French intervention has particularly upset Turkey.
鈥淭he time for bullying is over. You have no chance to force (us) to take some actions through bullying,鈥� Akar told France in a televised interview.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an empty dream to think about preventing or changing the activities of Turkey or the Turkish armed forces,鈥� he said of the French military presence in the region.
Akar also urged Greece to stop hiding behind France or the EU and said: 鈥淎s Turkey and the Greeks, we need to solve our problems by holding talks... We say we should talk, we say dialogue and want a solution.鈥�
The EU meanwhile appears divided over how to respond.
Greece鈥檚 push to sanction Turkey failed to get off the ground at an EU foreign ministers鈥� video conference on August 14.
Turkey鈥檚 position found some support from southern European countries that would be most directly affected should Erdogan retaliate against the bloc.
Greece is expected to try again at the EU meeting in Berlin on Thursday and Friday.