NICOSIA — Turkey is showing no signs of stopping aggressions in the seas around Greece and Cyprus, with its warships reportedly continuing to harass a Maltese ship licensed by Greece to do exploratory work for the East Med pipeline.

The Nautical Geo had been scared off Crete earlier, with Greece complaining to no avail about it, and now the ship was said to be followed closely by Turkish warships after entering Cyprus' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) said Kathimerini.

The ship is helping do preliminary work for the pipeline's possible sea route conducted by Greece, Cyprus and Israel and the report said the Turkish vessels came within a half mile.

But Greece has been reluctant to confront Turkey, with Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias saying that “Greece must break the stereotype of a Balkan Turkish-central provincialism in its foreign policy” and  it must “open its wings to the new reality.” 

He said while Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis complained of “unlawful” Turkish provocations in the seas that Greece must be cautious and try to use international laws as a deterrent although Turkey doesn't recognize them.