Greece’s Navy is on high alert as Turkey escalates tensions in the Aegean Sea, heightening an ongoing dispute over maritime boundaries and territorial claims.
The latest tension was sparked from the presence of the Italian research vessel "Ievoli Relume," which is conducting surveys for an underwater cable project connecting Crete and Cyprus.
Turkey's challenge to these activities has led to a significant military and diplomatic standoff.
Despite the heightened state of readiness, Greek authorities have decided against deploying
additional naval vessels to the region.
The frigate Nikiforos Fokas and the gunboat Aittitos have been deployed south of Kasos, along with a coast guard patrol vessel..
Diplomatic channels between Athens and Ankara have scrambled to de-escalate the situation, utilizing a hotline set up between the two countries to prevent crises from escalating.
At the centre of the current dispute are Greek Navtex notices issued for the Italian-led survey which focuses on Greek territorial waters, except for a segment just half a mile outside the six-mile limit from Karpathos.
In response, Turkey has issued its own Navtex, claiming that the area south of Karpathos falls within its continental shelf. It has since then dispatched naval vessels to monitor the Italian research ship, deploying the frigates Gökova and Göksu, and three other warships.
Greece maintains that the Italian vessel's activities are fully compliant with international law, highlighting that the surveys are conducted within Greek territorial waters.
The region is part of the 2020 Greece-Egypt agreement on the partial delimitation of Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ), which intersects with the contentious Turkish-Libyan memorandum. Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis, speaking to SKAI radio, reiterated Greece's commitment to dialogue but emphasised that sovereign rights are non-negotiable.
"The government seeks to maintain dialogue but not at the expense of our sovereign rights. Dialogue does not imply agreement or naivety. Issues of internal politics and sovereignty are not up for negotiation. Our policy remains unchanged, and we will continue to pursue our energy and other national policies," said Mr. Marinakis.
He added that while Greece is open to discussions based on positive agendas and the resolution of the single dispute with Turkey regarding EEZ and continental shelf delimitation under international law, significant disagreements and differences persist.