Kastellorizo

The limits of Greece's continental shelf have been disputed by Turkey with a series of navigational telexes (navtexes) that ignore the southeastern Aegean island of Kastellorizo, implying that it has no significance when it comes to delineating maritime regions in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Officials in Athens are gauging the distance between Ankara's declared intentions and actual capabilities amid growing tension over energy deposits in the Eastern Mediterranean. 

Turkish media on Tuesday claimed that Ankara had asked Athens to take down a Greek flag erected on an Aegean islet disputed by Turkey before doing so itself.

According to daily Hurriyet, Ankara had told authorities in Athens on Saturday that a Greek flag had been spotted by its coast guard on the tiny islet of Mikros Anthropofagos near Fourni.

Turkey made up the story about its coast guard taking down a Greek flag on an islet in the southeastern Aegean after a Turkish helicopter was chased off from the area of Ro, Alternate Defense Minister Fotis Kouvelis said on Tuesday.

Greek government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos said on Monday that there was no evidence of any "violation of Greek territory" following claims by Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim that the Turkish coast guard took down Greek flag from an Aegean islet.

Yildirim had indicated that the islet was in a "disputed area" in the Aegean, a concept that Greece rejects.

The European Commission on Wednesday approved a one-year extension to a special visa agreement between Greece and Turkey that allows Turks who want to visit seven Greek islands to apply for a visa directly at their destination.

The Turkish prime minister's office has denied an incident involving a lights-out Turkish helicopter flight off Greece's eastern Aegean islet of Ro, Hurriyet reports quoting sources.

Earlier Tuesday, Maximos Mansion confirmed the late Monday incident, which prompted Greek troops to fire tracer rounds as a warning, adding however that the helicopter did not violate Greece's airspace.

The prime minister's office reacted to Monday's incident near Ro saying that the Turkish helicopter was flying near the eastern Aegean islet with its navigation lights out, but did not violate Greece's airspace.

The lights-out flight ostensibly occurred in the context of "safe provocativeness," it said, adding that such tactics carry the risk of potential accidents.

Andrew Jackomos is fighting to improve the living conditions of young members of the Koori tribe, indigenous Australians of New South Wales and Victoria. Still, when the 65-year-old walked around Kastellorizo, the island from which his grandfather emigrated, he felt a sense of awe. "My heart is shared between all of my ancestors," Jackomos tells Kathimerini.

The Turkish Coast Guard on Dec. 14 rescued at least 68 migrants stranded on a rocky islet in the Aegean Sea.