Ankara holds hard line on East Med

Turkey is maintaining a tough stance against immoderate enactment successful planetary waters eastbound of Crete and south of Kasos without its permission. During Easter week, a Turkish frigate radioed the Dutch vessel MAASVLIET arsenic it conducted operations to retrieve an aged telecommunications cablegram betwixt southeastern Crete and northwestern Egypt.

The task is carried retired connected behalf of a US institution progressive successful subsea probe and worldly recycling, reflecting broader commercialized involvement successful undersea infrastructure and betterment operations crossed the region.

The Dutch vessel had obtained permits from Greek and Egyptian authorities.

The cablegram links Marseille with Port Said and was being retrieved on a west-to-east way crossed planetary waters.

On Easter Thursday, a Turkish naval frigate approached astatine a harmless region and queried the unit astir their activities and deficiency of Turkish authorization.

The Dutch replied they were operating legally under Greek and Egyptian permits obtained done standard procedures.

Turkey besides raised the contented with the International Maritime Organization, arguing that NAVTEX work successful the country lies with the Antalya station. After a strong absorption from Athens, the IMO did not follow the Turkish claims. The MAASVLIET did not implicit its work and sailed toward Alexandria, where it remained precocious Monday.

Given the project’s US link, a petition for Turkish support whitethorn travel successful bid to resume operations.

The incident, unrelated to the Greece-Cyprus powerfulness interconnector (GSI), underscores Ankara’s stance successful the Eastern Mediterranean, including areas covered by the 2020 Greece-Egypt maritime agreement.

It besides coincides with caller airspace violations successful the southeastern Aegean, including 5 connected Tuesday by a CN-235 craft engaged successful surveillance activity.

Greek and Cypriot vigor ministers person meantime sought European Investment Bank backing for the interconnector, signaling continued governmental alignment.

The missive highlights the project’s value and some governments’ volition to beforehand it contempt tensions.