Greece has said that there should be no alternative to sanctions imposed by the European Union on Turkey if it does not back down on disputed attempts to explore for natural resources in the Mediterranean.
"Unfortunately, Turkey is adding another episode of its hostile actions to Greece, Cyprus and the entire European Union," Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told German Foreign Minister Haikou Maas, who is visiting Athens.
"Questioning the sovereign rights of Greece and Cyprus is ultimately questioning the rights of Europe ... We expect our allies to support sanctions on Turkey ... As long as Turkey continues this path, sanctions on Turkey will be the only way," he added.
Turkey and Greece are at odds over interlocking demands for sovereignty over hydrocarbon resources, and the dispute became clearer with the attempts of Cyprus, a member of the European Union, to explore for natural gas in the eastern Mediterranean amid strong Turkish protests.
Turkey says that it has one of its sovereign rights to explore for resources in areas it considers part of its continental shelf or within the maritime borders that it has set for itself.
Greece has also expressed outrage over an agreement between Libya and Turkey to demarcate the sea border, cutting off the southern Greek island of Crete and paving the way for a possible exploration of resources.
The relationship between the two countries has been tense for decades and escalates from time to time, and the two countries exchanged sharp statements this year when thousands of refugees and migrants hosted by Turkey tried to storm land borders with Greece, and the positions of the two countries also differ regarding the ethnically divided island of Cyprus.