Turkey issued a rival NAVTEX on Friday morning challenging Greece's authority to govern maritime safety in waters south ...

Turkey issued a rival NAVTEX on Friday morning challenging Greece's authority to govern maritime safety in waters south of Kastellorizo, directly targeting a zone tied to a major undersea cable project. Greece's Heraklion Naval Station issued a NAVTEX Thursday night covering the multinational EUNOMIA 2026 exercise, scheduled for October 19 south of Kastellorizo. That same zone is expected to be crossed by the research vessel ABEILLE MARENGO, which is conducting survey work for the planned Crete-Cyprus undersea cable route. Turkey responded by declaring the Heraklion Station incompetent to issue the notice, claiming the area falls under the jurisdiction of its own Antalya Station. Athens has consistently maintained that the Heraklion Station is the sole authority recognized by the International Maritime Organization for issuing safety directives within the Athens FIR zone and the Greek continental shelf. Turkey's position has no basis in IMO-recognized jurisdiction, according to the Greek government's standing position. Turkey is also demanding that Greece notify and coordinate with Turkish authorities before laying the Crete-Cyprus cable, and that Athens obtain a Turkish permit to do so. Ankara claims the cable route passes through areas it considers its own continental shelf. Turkey's Hurriyet newspaper ran a front-page story Friday claiming France holds the key to preventing a crisis in the Eastern Mediterranean, framing the dispute as a potential direct confrontation between Turkey and Greece. The cable project, known as the Great Sea Interconnector, is part of a broader EU-backed energy plan to link the electricity grids of Israel, Cyprus, and Greece. A request for exceptional use of the research vessel inside Greek territorial waters has already been submitted to the Hellenic Coast Guard command. #Greece #Turkey #EasternMediterranean