ATHENS — Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias on Wednesday ordered the immediate delivery of a demarche to Turkey over its new illegal Navtex, as well as the briefing of Greece's allies and partners about Turkey's ongoing illegal behaviour, a foreign ministry announcement said.

"With the new illegal navtex that Turkey has issued, it announces the continuation of its illegal seismic research in the period 11-23 November in an area within the Greek continental shelf in the Eastern Mediterranean, continuously violating the international Law of the Sea and undermining the peace and stability of the region," said the foreign ministry.

"In other words, [Turkey] is trumpeting that it intends to continue ignoring the international community and the recommendations of the European Council to avoid such illegal actions and respect international legality," underlined the Greek ministry, concluding: "Greece again condemns this provocative behaviour, which makes any prospect of constructive dialogue even more distant, and calls on Turkey to immediately revoke the illegal Navtex."

Earlier today, the Hellenic Navy Hydrographic Service (HNHS) station in Herakleion, Crete, on Wednesday issued a counter-NAVTEX, in response to Turkey's illegal NAVTEX for activities within the Greek continental self.

Greece's counter-NAVTEX underlines that the Turkish message comes from an unauthorised station and refers to unauthorised and illegal activity in an area that overlaps the Greek continental shelf.

It also said that the Herakleion Navtex station has the authority to broadcast Navtex messages in the area and urges "all mariners to disregard Navtex message number FA50-1404/20".

The Antalya station issued a Navtex for surveys by the research vessel "Oruc Reis" up until November 23, in a sea area 14 nautical miles east of Rhodes and about 20 nautical miles northwest of the Kastellorizo island complex.