A French-flagged research ship has set out to survey the seabed for a planned undersea electricity cable between Greece and Cyprus, after Türkiye, Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration issued competing navigational warnings (NAVTEX) for the same work.
The vessel, the Abeille Marengo, left the port of Heraklion on Crete and headed towards the waters around the island of Kasos, according to the Turkish newspaper Akşam, as published by Star, and the Greek newspaper Proto Thema. The survey is for a cable linking Greece and Cyprus, according to Proto Thema, Cumhuriyet and Akşam.
Update, 12 November, 16:05: A Turkish frigate on Thursday read out a radio message near the Abeille Marengo as the research ship worked southeast of Karpathos, according to the Greek outlets To Vima, Proto Thema and ANT1. The message stated that the vessel was sailing on Türkiye’s continental shelf and could continue, To Vima and Proto Thema reported. It did not refer to permission for the survey work, according to Proto Thema and ANT1. The Greek frigate Limnos replied, restating Athens’ position that the work is being carried out under the Greek NAVTEX, To Vima and ANT1 reported. There was no official Turkish statement on the exchange at the time of writing. (Sources: To Vima, Proto Thema, ANT1.)
Ankara says it gave consent
A NAVTEX issued by Türkiye covers the ship’s work from 10 November to 19 March, according to Cumhuriyet and Akşam. Cumhuriyet reported that the Turkish notice says the research will be carried out along lines coordinated with the relevant Turkish authorities and with their consent, and Haber.com reported that the notice states the work is being done with the permission of Turkish authorities.
Turkish Foreign Ministry sources told Cumhuriyet that the French embassy had sent a written note and that Ankara had given its permission in the same way. Haber.com, citing Turkish diplomatic sources, also reported that Ankara sent France a note giving its consent.
Cumhuriyet and Haber.com both reported that part of the survey area lies within the continental shelf limits that Türkiye notified to the United Nations on 18 March 2020.
Athens and Nicosia reject the Turkish notice
Greece responded with its own NAVTEX describing the Turkish notice as invalid, according to Cumhuriyet, Akşam and Haber.com. Cumhuriyet and Proto Thema reported that Athens says it issued the authorisation for the survey itself.
The Greek Cypriot administration also issued a NAVTEX stating that the surveys will take place within its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, Haber.com and Proto Thema reported.
France has not commented publicly on whether it asked Ankara for permission, according to Cumhuriyet and Haber.com.
Sources
- Fransa izin mi istedi, rutin bildirimde mi bulundu? Doğu Akdeniz’de NAVTEX bilmecesi (Cumhuriyet)
- Doğu Akdeniz’de Kablo Hattı Gerilimi: Ankara’nın Diplomatik Hamlesine Atina ve Lefkoşa’dan Karşı NAVTEX (Haber.com)
- Akdeniz’de Ankara’nın dediği oldu! Fransızlar Türkiye onay vermeden hareket etmedi (Star / Akşam)
- Abeille Marengo enters international waters today as Turkey’s possible response comes under scrutiny (Proto Thema)
Photo: Moonik / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
