Greece and Turkey in Diplomatic Stand-off over the Aegean

NAVTEX for probe vas Piri Reis collides with Greek-Cypriot vigor plans – tensions emergence aft Chevron determination disconnected Crete

Tensions are erstwhile again flaring successful the Aegean, arsenic Turkey issues a NAVTEX for the deployment of the probe vessel Piri Reis, prompting Athens to respond with its ain notice. The determination comes amid disputes implicit drilling rights southbound of Crete and delays successful the Greece–Cyprus energy interconnection project.

Ankara’s Move

The Turkish Hydrographic Service successful Smyrna issued NAVTEX 0863/25, covering waters westbound of Lesvos and southbound of Chios, extending to the islet of Kaloyeros. The determination is symbolically charged: the islet lies wrong a permanent Greek subject firing range, a presumption agelong contested by Turkey.

While the Piri Reis is technically authorized to behaviour oceanographic surveys, the jurisdictional issue is wide – the vessel’s declared way cuts crossed Greek territorial waters and continental support zones.

Athens’ Response

Greece countered with NAVTEX 154/25 from the Lemnos station, straight rejecting Ankara’s claims. Greek authorities, including the Foreign Ministry and Hellenic Armed Forces, are present intimately monitoring the ship’s movements, with the adjacent 24 hours deemed critical.

Strategic Context

Though specified mid-Aegean surveys are not, successful themselves, a large provocation, they are interpreted arsenic portion of a controlled escalation strategy, designed to item the competing claims of some countries.

The timing is crucial:

• just days after Chevron submitted its connection for 2 offshore blocks southbound of Crete, ignoring the Turkey–Libya maritime deal,
• and successful the midst of renewed disputes implicit the Greece–Cyprus energy interconnection, an contented causing friction not lone with Ankara but also between Athens and Nicosia.

Turkish Rhetoric

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has repeatedly stressed the request to “respect Turkey’s rights successful the Eastern Mediterranean.” His latest remarks were wide seen arsenic a awesome of Ankara’s discontent with U.S. vigor moves in Crete’s confederate offshore zone.

Source: pagenews.gr