Turkey also considers itself the guardian of breakaway northern Cyprus’s energy rights in the region. Greece and Turkey have been competing over the exploration of gas reserves in the eastern Mediterranean amid a lengthy dispute over their respective territorial waters. The ministry didn’t say when the incident occurred, but maritime tracking services showed the Maltese-flagged Nautical Geo docked Wednesday at Heraklion port on the Greek island of Crete. It condemned Greece’s “unlawful, provocative and expansionist initiative” under the guise of scientific research and said Turkey was “determined to protect and defend its rights and interests.” “The ship in question was radioed and warned not to enter the Turkish continental shelf. The Nautical Geo survey ship was confronted by the Orucreis frigate as it attempted to enter Turkey’s continental shelf, the ministry said. The showdown came a year after tensions in the eastern Mediterranean threatened to escalate into open conflict between the neighbors and NATO allies. ISTANBUL (AP) - A Turkish warship issued a warning to a Greek research vessel to prevent it entering what Turkey considers its territorial waters, Turkey’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday.

World of warships free gold