Greece’s electricity interconnector with Cyprus has become the focus of a fierce political dispute, following the resumption of surveys and Ankara’s expected response in the form of its own NAVTEX. The French research vessel “Abeille Marengo” sailed from the port of Heraklion yesterday afternoon, signalling that the project was back on track. A few hours later, Turkey, in a move Athens had anticipated, sought to challenge the framework for conducting the surveys, declaring “its consent to the activities”.The government insists that the licensing process was followed as required, solely by the competent Greek and Cypriot authorities, while the opposition is raising questions about the diplomatic handling of the issue and its consequences.
The foreign ministry categorically rejects Turkey’s claims, arguing that the Antalya NAVTEX has no legal effect and does not affect the progress of the surveys. Athens’ main argument is that authorisation for the work was sought exclusively from Greece and Cyprus, the only countries to receive a relevant request and issue the required permits.
Diplomatic sources point out that, after the Greek NAVTEX was issued and published, the research vessel’s precise route became known to everyone. The vessel travelled, and continues to travel, in accordance with the navigational warning issued by the Greek authorities. Consequently, the same sources say, the subsequent Turkish announcement, issued on the basis of information already in the public domain, does not change the status of the work. They also note that the Turkish NAVTEX does not even refer to the issuance of a permit, since no such request was ever submitted to Ankara.
At the same time, Athens has signalled that it will respond appropriately to Turkey’s latest provocation, in accordance with international law — possibly by issuing an anti-NAVTEX — while showing no inclination to attach more significance to the Turkish announcement than it warrants.
Late in the evening, after the Turkish NAVTEX became known, Environment and Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou told parliament, in response to repeated questions from the opposition: “Don’t fall into the trap. Turkey issued a NAVTEX, giving its consent, although the French company had not asked for it. The vessel set sail on the basis of a NAVTEX issued by Greece alone.”
Earlier, at the “Greece Talks” conference organised by “Proto Thema”, Kyriakos Mitsotakis had sought to end the debate over the French side’s note verbale to Turkey, making clear that it creates no issue for the Greek government and cannot be construed as a request for authorisation from Ankara.
He distinguished the notification of third countries from the licensing process, which falls exclusively within the remit of Greece and Cyprus. As he explained, notifying countries such as Turkey and Egypt does not amount to recognising any right on their part to approve or consent.
The prime minister also struck a reassuring tone about the progress of the surveys, saying he expected the project to be completed “without disruption”. At the same time, he signalled readiness for any eventuality, recalling the experience of managing the 2020 Greek-Turkish crisis, while criticising opposition parties and media outlets for their stance on the government’s handling of the issue.
PASOK: Greece must issue an anti-NAVTEX
With the contents of the French note verbale to Turkey concerning the cable-laying still unknown, the opposition believes the Turkish NAVTEX confirms its suspicions: that Turkey was not merely notified, but was asked for permission to carry out the project.
“The Turkish NAVTEX has irreparably exposed the government,” PASOK parliamentary spokesman Pavlos Christidis said in parliament as soon as Ankara’s move became known.
A little later, the party’s foreign affairs spokesman, Dimitris Mantzos, called on the government to issue an anti-NAVTEX immediately, pointing to the word “consent” used in the Turkish text.
Mr Mantzos said:
-Turkey’s issuance of a NAVTEX just hours after the French vessel sailed from Heraklion, referring to the “consent” of the Turkish authorities to the planned work, threatens to escalate tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, exposing the Greek government and its statements to date about Turkey’s role in the Greece-Cyprus electricity interconnector project.
-Greece must issue an anti-NAVTEX immediately in response to Ankara’s illegal and revisionist move, which also refers to maps Turkey submitted to the UN in March 2020 in implementation of the illegal and invalid 2019 Turkish-Libyan memorandum.
Mr Mantzos reiterated his party’s call on the government to disclose the contents and wording of France’s note verbale to Turkey.
ELAS: Mitsotakis fiasco
“The new Turkish NAVTEX is another attempt by Turkey to present the Greek and Cypriot continental shelves as its own,” ELAS said.
In turn, highlighting the use of the Turkish word “consent” in relation to the scientific surveys for laying the cable, it said this was “unacceptable and violates both IMO rules and the law of the sea”.
According to the statement from Amalias Street:
-We had warned the government that Turkey would seek to exploit “notification under threat” in order to portray it as a request for permission and advance its revisionist ambitions.
-Unfortunately, the government’s response to Alexis Tsipras and ELAS was the unprecedented vulgarity of claiming that anyone who criticises it “serves Turkish interests”, along with the ludicrous excuses that the French note verbale was equivalent to… a notification from the Public Power Corporation and EYDAP.
This latest fiasco has now been added to Mitsotakis’ record of failures.
SYRIZA: Even the government no longer knows
“We no longer know what the Greek government itself knows,” SYRIZA officials said, adding that the developments nevertheless indicate that part of the negotiations has been handed over to a third country (namely, France).
“There is no requirement even to notify anyone about the cables, yet now we have both a French note verbale and a Turkish NAVTEX,” party officials said.