The search for the French research vessel “Abeille Marengo” is proceeding smoothly; which entered international waters yesterday morning and is currently located southeast of Karpathos, marking the start of investigations into the Greece–Cyprus power interconnection.
The French research vessel is following the route as described in the Greek Navtex, based on which it will conduct its survey south of Karpathos, before continuing toward Cyprus, in an area delineated by the corresponding Cypriot Navtex.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
The Turkish side’s reception of the French research vessel, however, was very low-key, and Ankara did not seek any form of escalation with Athens, as reflected in the reaction of the Turkish frigate CG Gökova, after its crew read over the radio a message stating that the ship “is sailing in an area of the Turkish continental shelf and has permission to continue its voyage.”
Specifically, the Turkish side responded in a more restrained manner than the “verbal harassment” (hailing) a scenario that the Greek authorities had prepared for, and with no other reaction from Turkey currently recorded on the ground, with the exception of the seven violations of national airspace, where two armed F-16s entered yesterday in the northeastern Aegean region.
Months of preparation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The fact that Ankara chose to move beyond maximalist stances and provocations in the region yesterday is not unrelated to the months-long diplomatic efforts undertaken by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the relevant minister, George Gerapetritis, playing a pivotal role between Athens, Paris, and the countries of the southeastern Mediterranean. At the same time, the multifaceted nature of Greek foreign policy—as demonstrated both by the EU’s alignment with Greek positions on the issue of the illegal Turkish-Libyan memorandum, as well as through the promotion of Greek positions at the UN Security Council, has created a network of diplomatic relations that allows for more nuanced maneuvering.
At the same time, the well-established cooperative relationship between Athens and Paris allows the Greek side to maintain the initiative regarding the Greece-Cyprus electricity interconnection and Cyprus, as was ultimately evident from Ankara’s actions yesterday.
The “key” to the refusal to grant a license
Specifically, Ankara’s behavior yesterday reflects, according to some, its reduced room for maneuver due to Greece’s multilateral approach to foreign policy, with the Turkish side ultimately opting for a low-key response, which did not culminate solely in the message read by the crew of the Turkish frigate.
Military analysts are paying close attention to the fact that the Turkish frigate CG Gökova conveyed the relevant text on its own initiative, without, however, using it to request that the French research vessel or the Greek frigate “Lemnos” leave the area. For these same analysts, this specific detail constitutes the most telling indication of Turkey’s implicit acknowledgment that it had not authorized the research and, by extension, that it had no jurisdiction over the area, while allowing the normal commencement of exploration procedures.
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Source: PROTO THEMA
