Egypt rejects Turkey's Mediterranean navigational warning for seismic survey

Egyptian Foreign Ministry

CAIRO, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Egypt rejected on Saturday a recent navigational warning issued by Turkey to carry out seismic survey in the eastern Mediterranean.

In a statement, Egyptian Foreign Ministry said that parts of the surveyed area lie within the Egyptian "exclusive economic zone," stressing that the procedure is not consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The ministry added that this move also contravenes the provisions of international law and constitutes an offensive on Egypt's sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone in the Mediterranean.

It highlighted that Egypt made a declaration to the UN to exercise its rights in its exclusive economic waters according to Article 310 of the UNCLOS on July 11, 1983.

On July 21, Turkey issued a navigational warning that a Turkish ship would carry out the seismic survey in the eastern Mediterranean from July 21 to Aug. 2.