Five Turkish warships stir tensions in Greek waters

In recent days, Turkey has deployed up to five warships near the maritime boundary between Kasos and Karapathos islands, just outside Greek territorial waters. This area has been the site of operations by the Italian-flagged vessel Ievoli Relume, which is conducting surveys for the upcoming Great Sea Interconnector project linking Crete and Cyprus.

The Eastern Mediterranean remains a sensitive issue for Turkish diplomacy. The deployment follows recent tensions over underwater cable installation by the vessel Teliri and now with the activities of Ievoli Relume, which do not encroach upon Turkish continental shelf claims.

The Turkish military's increased presence, consisting of two frigates and a corvette, was initially met with only a Greek cannonboat in the region. However, Greece later dispatched the frigate Nikiforos Fokas to monitor the situation. Turkey's actions have also included sending two missile boats, raising concerns that Ankara might attempt to disrupt the Italian vessel's work.

In response, Greece has opted for a restrained approach, with only a coast guard patrol vessel dispatched to the area. Additionally, Turkish aircraft and a drone have violated Athens' Flight Information Region (FIR) on four occasions.

The Ievoli Relume is operating under a NAVTEX from Heraklion Hydrographic Service for the installation of underwater cables, covering a region from the midpoint between Crete and Kasos to the south of Karapathos. The heightened Turkish naval activity is concentrated in a narrow area south of the Kasos-Karapathos strait, which falls outside Greek territorial waters.

Amid these developments, Greek Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis made provocative statements suggesting that Greece's F-35s could strike Turkey undetected. He ridiculed Turkish threats and claimed that Greece's advanced aircraft could strike Ankara "one night."

These remarks come amid ongoing rhetoric and diplomatic tensions between Athens and Ankara, including recent disputes over Cyprus and internal Greek politics.

[Summary of Vasilis Nedos' original story in Greek published in Kathimerini's Cyprus edition]