Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday described as “piracy” the activities of some countries that oppose Turkey’s presence in the Mediterranean, where the unilateral oil exploration carried out by Ankara aroused strong tensions, reports AFP.

“If we give in to piracy in this matter in which we are fully right, we will not be able to respond to future generations,” the Turkish president said in a speech in Ankara.

“We cannot leave to our children a country incapable of defending its interests, without self-confidence,” Erdogan added.

The statements come in a context of strong tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean. Ankara has especially angered Greece by deploying a seismic research vessel in an area claimed by Athens, according to Agerpres.

A Turkish frigate and a Greek ship collided last week in the Eastern Mediterranean, a Greek military source told AFP, confirming statements in the press.

The Greek daily Kathimerini published a photo on Wednesday with a damaged Turkish frigate, according to the publication, during a collision with a Greek frigate.

Ignoring the European Union’s calls for an easing of tensions, Turkey on Sunday announced an extension of exploration into gas resources in another disputed area.

In his speech on Wednesday, Erdogan described the part of the Eastern Mediterranean claimed by Ankara as an extension of Turkish territory, which he called a “blue homeland.”

“Defending the blue homeland is just as important as defending our borders,” he said.