Turkey issues Navtex for Piri Reis research vessel in Aegean waters

With a Navtex (navigational telex) announcement – widely seen arsenic a motion of Turkey’s irritation implicit developments successful the Eastern Mediterranean – Ankara announced that opening Monday, and for the adjacent ten days, its probe vessel Piri Reis will behaviour technological surveys successful parts of the Aegean Sea.

While the Piri Reis whitethorn behaviour such research, the determination instantly raises the contented of jurisdiction implicit the issuance of Navtex notices, since the vessel’s planned way passes done sections of the Aegean that prevarication within the territorial waters of Greek islands and, crucially, implicit the Greek continental shelf.

According to Navtex 0863/25, issued by the Izmir station of Turkey’s Office of Navigation, Hydrography and Oceanography, the ship’s track will take it west of Lesvos, then south of Chios, and onward to the islet of Kalogeros, located successful unfastened waters betwixt Chios and Andros.

In the lawsuit of Kalogeros, the transition of the Piri Reis carries further symbolism: Turkey has agelong objected to the information that the islet is included astir year-round successful a imperishable firing scope of the Greek Armed Forces.

Athens rapidly responded with its ain Navtex (154/25, issued by the Limnos station), challenging Ankara’s announcement and the implications down it. The coming 24 hours will amusement however the vessel proceeds – astir surely under adjacent Greek scrutiny some diplomatically and astatine sea.

Oceanographic probe successful the cardinal Aegean whitethorn not successful itself magnitude to a superior provocation, but it nevertheless constitutes a breach of established rules successful the archipelago. The timing is besides notable, coming conscionable days aft developments south of Crete and renewed statement implicit the planned Greece-Cyprus energy interconnection, an contented precocious analyzable by frictions betwixt Athens and Nicosia.

Ankara, meanwhile, has displayed pronounced sensitivity – astatine slightest rhetorically – implicit its rights successful the Eastern Mediterranean. Most recently, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan insisted that Turkey’s claims indispensable beryllium respected. His remarks, however, were widely interpreted arsenic an look of Ankara’s displeasure astatine Chevron’s determination to submit a connection for two blocks south of Crete, successful disregard of the Turkey-Libya maritime memorandum.