ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece accused rival Turkey of lacking credibility on Monday by sending a survey vessel into contested waters in the eastern Mediterranean, and of orchestrating the partial opening of an abandoned town on ethnically-split Cyprus.
Earlier on Monday Turkey issued a maritime advisory that it planned to dispatch the Oruc Reis survey vessel to the region, drawing strong criticism from Greece.
Last month, Ankara withdrew the vessel from contested waters in the Eastern Mediterranean to “allow for diplomacy” before an EU summit at which Cyprus had pushed for sanctions and Turkey. Greece welcomed that move.
“Turkey has proven it lacks credibiity. All those who believed Turkey meant all it said before the European summit of Oct. 1-2 now stand corrected,” government spokesman Stelios Petsas said.
(Reporting By Michele Kambas)
