Ankara is opening a new round of disputes south of Kastellorizo , this time on the occasion of the multinational aeronautical exercise EUNOMIA , in which Greece, Cyprus, France and Italy participate. With an anti-NAVTEX issued on Friday, October 16 through the Antalya station, the Turkish side disputes the competence of Heraklion to issue naval announcements for the specific area and demands its own consent for activities there.
The exercise takes place from October 16 to 22 in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean , with the restricted area including sea space south of Kastellorizo . The Turkish intervention is directed against the relevant Greek announcement, claiming that the area falls under Ankara’s jurisdiction.
The wording of Turkish consent for any activity is the central point of the anti-NAVTEX. Through it, the Turkish side attempts to appear as the authority on which the conduct of activities in the specific maritime space depends. This is a Turkish claim , which is being put forward on the occasion of a four-country exercise and gains additional weight due to energy plans in the region.
The focus is on the electrical interconnection between Greece and Cyprus, the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI) . According to the information in the publication, research work on the cable is expected to begin in the area by the French ship Abeille Marengo . The timing links the Turkish reaction to EUNOMIA with the question of the stance that Ankara will take when the research begins.
The anti-NAVTEX concerns the exercise and does not in itself constitute confirmation of obstruction of the GSI’s work . However, the claim of prior Turkish consent shows the context of the objections raised by Ankara and reinforces the concern that similar challenges will be raised against the research program.
The presence of forces from Greece, Cyprus, France and Italy gives a clear multinational dimension to EUNOMIA. At the same time, the Turkish announcement brings back to the fore Ankara’s attempt to place activities south of Kastellorizo under its own approval. The next critical point will be the start of the investigations for the electrical interconnection , when it will be seen whether the current claims will be accompanied by further actions.
