GREECE’S prime minister convened the government’s national security council today after Turkey announced its research vessel would be conducting energy research in the eastern Mediterranean in an area between Cyprus and Greece.

Turkey issued an international maritime safety message announcing its research vessel Oruc Reis and two auxiliary vessels would be conducting seismic exploration from Monday until August 23.

Last week, Turkey announced that it would be conducting a firing exercise in the eastern Mediterranean today and tomorrow.

A crucial issue worsening the friction between the neighbours is whether islands should be included in calculating a country’s continental shelf and maritime zones of economic interest.

Turkey argues they should not be, a position Greece says violates international law. Greece has thousands of islands and islets in the Aegean and Ionian seas, about 200 of them inhabited.

Turkish Energy & Natural Resources Minister Fatih Donmez said today that the Oruc Reis had arrived in its area of operation from its anchorage off Turkey’s southern coast. “83 million back the Oruc Reis,” he tweeted, referring to Turkey’s population.

Tension has been high in the region in recent months over drilling rights and maritime boundaries. Late last month, Turkey had said it was suspending its exploratory operations in the eastern Mediterranean, and the move was seen as somewhat defusing the situation.

But last week Ankara slammed a deal between Greece and Egypt delineating maritime boundaries and the countries’ exclusive economic zones for drilling rights.

Last year, Turkey signed a similar deal with the UN-backed Libyan government in Tripoli, sparking outrage in Greece, Cyprus and Egypt, which all said it infringed their economic rights in the Mediterranean. The European Union says it is a violation of intentional law that threatens stability in the region.

In a TV interview late on Sunday, Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said that Turkey and Greece had been holding talks in Berlin for over two months and were on the verge of issuing a joint statement when the Greek-Egyptian agreement emerged.

“This is another move to keep Turkey out of the eastern Mediterranean and to restrict it to the Gulf of Antalya,” Mr Kalin said.