By Vassilis Nedos and Manolis Kostidis
Ankara is standing by its demand that any activity in areas it considers part of Turkey’s continental shelf must receive its authorization, particularly work on the electricity connection between Greece and Cyprus, the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI).
This time, Turkey’s Defense Ministry announced that any activity on its “continental shelf” must “be coordinated in advance with our country, as the coastal state.” It stressed that Ankara “will not permit any unauthorized activity on its continental shelf in the Eastern Mediterranean, as defined by the maritime jurisdiction delimitation agreements it has signed with the ‘TRNC’ [the self-declared state in occupied northern Cyprus] and Libya, which we declared to the United Nations on March 18, 2020.”
Asked about Ankara’s confrontational rhetoric, Greek government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis said no permission was required for the cable project and that it would proceed as planned.
Ankara’s insistence on explicit authorization for the GSI project is intended to underline Turkey’s hard-line position, particularly at a time when Athens is announcing plans to resume seabed surveys east of Kasos. Turkey is effectively ruling out any alternative way of advancing the project, including the possibility of France simply notifying it that the surveys are restarting.
Under the current circumstances, however, discussion of the issue has become highly charged. At home, the Greek government is also facing criticism over the electricity interconnection, as reflected in statements issued yesterday by PASOK and ELAS.
No authorization is required for the project, and it will proceed as planned, Athens said through government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis.
Meanwhile, Turkish authorities also issued a sharply worded statement about the military parade held in the Republic of Cyprus to mark yesterday’s Independence Day. Turkey’s Defense Ministry referred to military cooperation pursued by Nicosia “with third countries that negatively affects the delicate balance and climate of trust on the island.”
Scene from yesterday’s parade in Nicosia marking the 66th anniversary of Cyprus’ independence, which also featured a contingent of U.S. Marines. [REUTERS / Yiannis Kourtoglou]
Turkey’s displeasure concerns the parade marking the Republic of Cyprus’ 66th anniversary of independence, which showcased weapons systems Nicosia has acquired from Israel.
It also concerns the participation of military contingents from France, the United States and Egypt, as well as, for the first time since the island gained independence, the United Kingdom. Britain’s chief of the defense staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, was also in Nicosia.
The Greek armed forces had a significant presence, including their permanently stationed personnel, the Greek frigate Nikiforos Fokas and fighter jets stationed in Paphos.
The appearance of the BARAK MX air defense system, which the Republic of Cyprus purchased from Israel, caused the greatest irritation in Ankara. Spectators also had the opportunity to see French-made systems used by the National Guard, including Exocet missiles and Akeron anti-tank missiles.
Ankara issues NAVTEX for the Oruc Reis
Athens openly condemned Ankara’s efforts to advance a project to build an underwater natural gas pipeline between Turkey and the occupied territories of Cyprus.
Diplomatic sources yesterday described the move as provocative and unilateral. They reiterated that “under international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), unilateral actions to develop energy infrastructure without the consent of the Republic of Cyprus have no legal basis and violate its sovereignty and sovereign rights.”
For Athens, these actions represent a “continuing effort to entrench the facts created by the occupation” and undermine efforts to build trust and maintain regional stability.
The surveys by the Oruc Reis also send a clear message about Ankara’s approach to the Eastern Mediterranean. They are, of course, connected to the planned resumption of surveys for the Greece-Cyprus electricity interconnection.
Ankara’s decision to issue the NAVTEX maritime notice for the Oruc Reis pipeline surveys on Cyprus’ Independence Day is also indicative of the message Turkey wanted to send. The vessel’s surveys in the area aim to gather information for underwater construction.
Meanwhile, the newspaper Yeni Şafak reported that Turkey had conducted another test launch of its Tayfun ballistic missile. The launch took place near Rize airport on the Black Sea coast.
Manufacturer Roketsan has announced that deliveries of Tayfun-1 and Tayfun-2 ballistic missiles have begun, and that it aims to start mass production of the Tayfun-3 by the end of 2027.
Turkey’s Defense Ministry also announced that the two countries had signed an agreement for the purchase of 12 used C-130J aircraft from the United Kingdom.
Under the agreed timetable, the aircraft are to be transferred gradually to Turkey once maintenance work currently underway in Britain is completed. Delivery of the first two aircraft is scheduled for December 2027.
