Greece Alarmed as Turkey Deploys Research Vessel in the Aegean

Turkey’s Piri Reis vas to behaviour Aegean surveys nether NAVTEX, raising tensions with Greece. Credit: Mehmet Ozdogru/ Anatolian Agency/ EPA via AMNA

Greece and Turkey are erstwhile again astatine likelihood successful the Aegean aft Ankara issued a NAVTEX announcing that its oceanographic vas Piri Reis volition behaviour technological surveys implicit the adjacent 10 days. The notice, broadcast arsenic NAVTEX 0863/25 by Turkey’s Izmir station, outlines a probe way stretching westbound of Lesvos, southbound of Chios, and toward the islet of Kalogeros—located betwixt Chios and Andros.

A NAVTEX (NAVigational TEleX) is an planetary automated strategy for broadcasting urgent maritime information accusation to ships.

Although the Piri Reis is technically susceptible of carrying retired specified research, the determination instantly raises questions of jurisdiction. Parts of the vessel’s declared way walk done Greek territorial waters and implicit Greece’s continental shelf—areas wherever Turkey lacks authorization to contented NAVTEX.

The Kalogeros conception of the ngo carries further symbolism: the islet lies wrong a imperishable Greek subject firing range, making its inclusion successful the survey way a pointed reminder of Ankara’s longstanding objections to Greek defence activities successful the area.

Athens reacted swiftly with a counter-NAVTEX (154/25 issued by the Lemnos station), challenging Turkey’s jurisdiction and signaling that Greek authorities volition intimately show the Piri Reis some diplomatically and astatine sea.

Why Turkey issued the NAVTEX which has alarmed Greece

While framed arsenic a technological mission, Ankara’s NAVTEX serves a broader geopolitical purpose. By asserting a relation successful cardinal Aegean waters, Turkey is signaling its refusal to judge Greece’s mentation of maritime zones.

At the aforesaid time, the determination coincides with 2 delicate developments: the submission of an vigor exploration bid by US vigor elephantine Chevron for offshore blocks southbound of Crete, and renewed momentum connected the Greece–Cyprus energy interconnection project. Both initiatives fortify Athens’ presumption successful the Eastern Mediterranean vigor landscape—an country wherever Ankara seeks power and leverage.

Thus, beyond oceanographic surveys, Turkey’s NAVTEX is intended arsenic a strategical message. It is simply a reminder that Ankara remains a stakeholder successful the region’s maritime and vigor aboriginal and that it volition contention immoderate Greek moves perceived arsenic sidelining Turkish interests.