In a new test for Greek -Turkish relations, Turkey’s determination leads to require every project in the Eastern Mediterranean to have its own approval, even if it concerns areas of the Cyprus EEZ and the Greek potential continental shelf, but also of the demarcated Greek EEZ (under the Greek -Egyptian agreement).
Having Athens the major problem that is suspended indefinitely the work on the cable of the Greek -Cyprus electric interconnection cable (GSI) is in the face of another problem, which concerns an excellent work: that of East to Med Data Corridor (EMC) an underwater and land cable project of fiber optic, aiming to connect Asia with Europe through the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean. The project is being promoted by a consortium involving companies from Greece (including PPC), Saudi Arabia and Cyprus, and has been announced at the Greece -Saudi Arabia intergovernmental conference, which was convened in 2022 under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Mitsotis.
Work on the project, which is of high economic and strategic importance, began with the release of NAVTEX 237/25 from the Larnaca Station for ships in the ship S/in “Fugro Gauss” Within the Cyprus EEZ. Investigations are foreseen for the period 6–16 August.
The Turkish Ministry of Defense in yesterday’s regular information has set the framework in which Turkey faces all projects in the Eastern Mediterranean, launching threats and stating that “Any activities such as cable/ducts or scientific research in our continental shelf must be coordinated in advance with our country. According to this rule, we always carry out the necessary monitoring, preventing any unauthorized activity in our continental shelf, and do not allow activities or projects (such as the Great Connector interconnection work) that ignore our country. As part of our approach, the Navwarn announcement issued on August 5, 2025, on the geophysical surveys conducted by the Fugro Gauss ship under the flag of Gibraltar, was found to have violated our continental shelf. The Foreign Ministry then issued us the necessary warnings and our ministry issued its anti-NAVTEX. In addition, our air and naval means have been developed in the area to take the necessary precautions. The activities of that ship are closely monitored. If they attempt to violate our continental shelf, appropriate measures will be taken on the ground. “
Turkey, with the usual tactic, rushed to issue her own navtex, which argues that part of the work concerns an area of the Turkish continental shelf and a NAVTEX region of Turkish authority, thus fully challenging the Cyprus EEZ and demanding “all research activities within Turkish maritime jurisdiction to coordinate with the competent Turkish authorities”.
With a tactic followed in 2024 with the Italian research vessel teliri, when it was a large American technology cable cable, Turkey demanded a request to the Turkish authorities for a NAVTEX issuance to indirectly accepted that these areas are not in charge of their regions. For the NAVTEX version.
At that time, with the invocation of the importance of the project, there were no reactions, thus creating a negative previous one, which Ankara attempted to apply in the case of the electric interconnection of Greece – Cyprus. He demanded from the IECOLY RELUME research vessel in July 2024 to ask the Turkish authorities the NAVTEX edition of his investigations in the Greek bordered EEZ, east of the territorial waters of Kasos, in an area overlapped by the Turkish Memorandum. As Athens could not accept the Turkish demand, Ankara, with the mission of five warships, has canceled the investigations, which have not ever progressed, creating a serious friction point in Greek -Turkish relations.
His investigations S/in Fugro Gauss For East to Med Data Corridor (EMC), after Cyprus, it is scheduled to head to the Greek EEZ. As early as June 5, the Ministry of Shipping, with the agreement of the Foreign Ministry, has approved the British Embassy’s request for the use of the “Fugro Gauss” research vessel (IMO 7824883), a Gibraltar flag, for the inspection of Interval from 11/06/2025 to 11/08/2025.
The ship is still on the southwest of Paphos and has not approached the areas of the Cyprus EEZ, which Turkey is challenged and for which it requires the issuance of Turkish NAVTEX to continue investigations.
The big dilemma for Athens is now what will happen with the continuation of investigations in the area of the potential Greek EEZ, but also in the area of the demarcated Greek EEZ (under the Greek Egyptian Agreement). And the crucial question is what will do to ensure the smooth continuation of these critical work to promote this important project, without indulging in the pressure of Ankara for indirect recognition of Turkish jurisdiction and Turkish sovereign rights in these areas.
The possibility of “freezing” the work will be extremely dangerous, both because of the importance of the project and because, after “freezing” the Cyprus -Crete electric interconnection investigations, it will create a particularly negative accomplished at the expense of our country.
NAVTEX issued by Cyprus and Turkey:
ZcZC Ma13
05 1800 UTC Aug 2025
JRCC LARNACA/CYPRUS RADIO/5BA
NAV WRNG 237/25
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY OPERATION WILL BE CONDUCTED
BY S/V “FUGRO GAUS” (MMPI: 236403000, IMO:7824883)
FROM 06 AUG 2025 0400 UTC UNTIL 16 AUG 2025 2300 UTC IN THE AREA BOUNDED
BY THE COORDINATES BELOW:
34-42.100N,030-32.300E
35-07.000N,030-54.700E
34-39.100N,031-50.400E
33-51.600N,032-18.600E
33-32.800N,032-29.900E
33-07.000N,033-14.200E
32-54.700N,032-59.600E
33-12.200N,032-13.800E
33-34.800N,032-08.000E
33-48.000N,031-31.500E
34-28.900N,031-03.200E
ALL VESSELS ARE REQUESTED
TO KEEP CLEAR DISTANCE FROM S/V “FUGRO GAUSS”
CANCEL THIS MESSAGE ON 17 AUG 2025 0100 UTC
JRCC LARNACA/CYPRUS RADIO/5BA
There is a renhed /0009/29/25/2
MEDITERRANEAN SEA
1. THE AREA PROMULGATED WITH NAVTEX NR. MA13-237/25 BY AN UNAUTHORIZED STATION IS WITHIN TURKISH NAVTEX SERVICE AREA AND TURKISH CONTINENTAL SHELF DECLARED TO UNITED NATIONS, ON 18 MARCH 2020 WITH REF NR. A/74/757.
2. ALL RESEARCH ACTIVITIES IN TURKISH MARITIME JURISDICTION AREA MUST BE COORDINATED WITH RELEVANT TURKISH AUTHORITIES.
3. ADDITIONALLY, THE “CYPRUS” MENTIONED IN MA13-237/25 IS NOT THE ORIGINAL PARTNERSHIP STATE ESTABLISHED IN 1960. TÜRKİYE DECLARES THAT THE TERM OF “CYPRUS” NEITHER AMOUNT TO ANY FORM OF RECOGNITION OF THE GREEK CYPRIOT ADMINISTRATION NOR PREJUDICE TÜRKİYE’S RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS EMANATING FROM THE TREATY OF GUARANTEE AND THE TREATY OF ESTABLISHMENT OF 1960.
4. THE EFFORTS TO LEGITIMIZE ILLEGAL CLAIMS OF THE GREEK CYPRIOT ADMINISTRATION THROUGH MA13-237/25 IS NULL AND NEITHER WAS NOR WILL BE ACCEPTED BY TÜRKİYE.
5. CANCEL THIS MESSAGE 170100Z AUG 25.