Turkey’s NAVTEX Escalates Tensions with Greece Over Disputed Waters

Turkey has issued a new NAVTEX (Navigational Telex) for the operation of a cable-laying ship in a disputed area south of Rhodes and east of Crete, intensifying tensions with Greece. The area, claimed by Turkey as part of its continental shelf, overlaps with the potential Greek continental shelf.

Turkey’s NAVTEX, issued on Monday, June 24, designates the region for the work of the cable-laying ship C/S Teliri from July 1 to July 21. This declaration follows Turkey’s unilateral and arbitrary submission to the UN, labeling the region as part of the Turkish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which Greece disputes. The contentious area also aligns with the Turkish-Cypriot Memorandum, further straining relations.

The C/S Teliri is reportedly laying a communications cable, the Cable Blue System, connecting Cyprus with Italy, France, and Israel for a private company. In response, Greece issued its own NAVTEX (NAVWARN 576/24) just after midnight, highlighting the planned submarine cable operations by C/S Teliri from June 25 to July 23 within areas Greece claims as its continental shelf.

There is uncertainty over whether the managing company of C/S Teliri sought permission from Turkey for this research, given the overlapping claims. Turkey’s latest NAVTEX also challenges Cyprus, asserting that the Cypriot announcement for the same ship’s work in the Cypriot EEZ (June 22 to July 3) was unauthorized, as Turkey does not recognize the delimitation of the Cypriot EEZ or the jurisdiction of the Larnaca station (JRCC Larnaca) for issuing NAVTEX.

This move by Turkey reasserts its “Blue Homeland” doctrine, which has been a recurring source of regional friction. The Greek authorities and the international community are closely monitoring the situation as it develops.

(Source: Protothema)