Greece and Turkey Clash Over Cyprus-Crete Power Cable Surveys
Athens refuses to seek Turkish permission for seabed surveys linked to the interconnector project, as Ankara warns against unauthorized activities.
- Greece rejects seeking Turkish approval for maritime surveys
- The dispute involves the Cyprus-Crete electricity link project
- Around 60 percent of required surveys are already completed
Why this matters to Israelis: Regional tensions in the eastern Mediterranean over energy infrastructure and maritime boundaries affect broader stability and security across the shared maritime neighborhood.
Greece has refused to seek Turkish permission for seabed surveys connected to the Great Sea Interconnector, reigniting a maritime dispute between Athens and Ankara in the eastern Mediterranean. The project aims to link the electricity grids of Cyprus and Crete. According to Greece's power grid operator Admie, approximately 60 percent of the required surveys have been finished, while the remaining section crosses waters where Greece and Turkey maintain competing claims between Kasos and Cyprus. Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis stated that obstructing the European project of common interest is unacceptable. Turkey's Defence Ministry countered that scientific research and cable installation within the Turkish continental shelf must be coordinated with Ankara. Athens maintains that accepting coordination or permission would undermine its sovereign rights and legal positions in the region.
Yavanet will keep updating from official sources.
