Ankara issues another NAVTEX, putting Athens on heightened alert

As the trilateral naval exercise Noble Dina 2017, with the participation of Greece, the US and Israel, came to a close Thursday afternoon with a ceremony at the Israeli Navy headquarters in Haifa, Greek military authorities were put on heightened alert after Turkey issued another navigational telex (navtex) saying that one of its research vessels will conduct "scientific exploration" on Friday and on Saturday in a region stretching north to south - from the eastern Aegean islands of Lesvos and Chios down to Icaria in the central Aegean.

Greece says that Turkey's insistence on conducting seismic research in Greek waters is a way to dispute its continental shelf.

Meanwhile, tensions flared again over the Aegean as Greek and Turkish fighter jets engaged twice in mock dogfights west and south of Lesvos at 2.50 p.m. and 3 p.m. respectively, while a Turkish SH-70 Seahawk...