Turkey has decided to prolong the stay of the Oruc Reis survey vessel in the Greek continental shelf until September 1, after a new navigational advisory it issued on Thursday.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other senior officials said the Oruc Reis would leave the region once it completes its mission. It is not certain yet when the Turkish vessel will leave Greek territorial waters.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is to speak with Erdogan today, while the unofficial meeting of EU foreign ministers is held for the second day.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis received a second phone call on Thursday from U.S. President Donald Trump, who informed him about the conversation he had earlier with Erdogan.
The Turkish president told Trump that it was not Turkey that caused instability in the Eastern Mediterranean and stressed that Turkey showed its support for de-escalation and dialogue with Greece.
Some reports have indicated that Turkey’s behavior in the Eastern Mediterranean is a matter of concern for Washington and the possibility of U.S. measures against the use of the S-400 anti-aircraft missiles is very likely.
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