Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has played down the row over the Greece-Cyprus electricity cable surveys, as the French research vessel Abeille Marengo prepares to sail from Heraklion.
Asked by Greek news outlet Skai to comment on the vessel and the Navtex exchange between Athens and Ankara, Fidan replied that “everything is normal, everything is good”.
Turkish diplomatic sources likewise told Greek media that the issue with the cable’s Navtex maritime notice had been resolved.
The ship is heading for the Greek island of Kasos, south of Karpathos, to begin surveys for the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI).
Greek reports say the work will be monitored remotely using autonomous systems and unmanned vehicles, with surface units available if needed.
Greece’s independent power transmission operator (Admie) announced on Friday that Greek and Cypriot authorities had issued the notices needed for surveys along the planned route of the Crete-Cyprus link.
Initially, Turkey responded with a counter-Navtex, claiming that part of the area lies within its continental shelf.
It said it had “not consented” to the work, which it called “unauthorised”, and that any research in areas it regards as under its jurisdiction must be coordinated with its authorities.
The Turkish foreign ministry then said no permission had been sought from Ankara for the French vessel’s work and that it had cancelled the Greek and Cypriot notices.
It said Turkey’s determination to protect its sovereign rights was “absolute” and that it favoured an approach in the region based on “cooperation, dialogue and coordination”.
Athens rejected the Turkish position. Greek diplomatic sources said the vessel’s work would proceed “based on the company’s operational planning” in Greek and Cypriot territorial waters and on parts of both countries’ continental shelves.
They said the law of the sea “is clear and does not allow for different interpretations”.
Greek media reports say a Turkish drone flew repeated surveillance circuits south of Karpathos, over the area where the cable is due to be laid.
The aircraft is believed to be an Akinci type that took off from the Dalaman naval base.
The reports say it switched its identification transmitter on and off, which made it harder for flight tracking systems to follow, and that it was the Turkish aircraft operating closest to the planned survey area.
The surveys come amid continuing uncertainty over the GSI project, which has faced delays caused by maritime disputes in the eastern Mediterranean.
Turkey also issued a separate counter-Navtex on Friday against a Cypriot notice for surveys by the vessel Kobi Ruegg for the East to Med Corridor telecommunications cable, which will connect Saudi Arabia with Greece.
Ankara claims the Cypriot notice came from an “unauthorised station” and that the area falls under the jurisdiction of the Turkish Navtex service.
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