Systematic efforts to challenge the Greek area of responsibility for issuing NAVTEX in the Eastern Mediterranean in areas of the potential Greek continental shelf claimed by Turkey under the theory of the Blue Homeland are again underway.

Turkey issued at noon NAVTEX (0664/24) for scientific research by the Turkish vessel Akdeniz Apastirma-1 for the period July 18 – August 5 in a large area south, west and southeast of Kastelorizo in an area where the responsibility of issuing NAVTEX belongs to Greece and the Heraklion Station.

Turkey is systematically contesting Greece’s area of responsibility in order to undermine Greek sovereign rights over the undefined continental shelf, which it calls it Turkish based on the doctrine of the “Blue Homeland”.

On Tuesday, the Turkish authorities through the Antalya Station had issued another NAVTEX (662/24) stating that the Greek NAVTEX issued by the Heraklion Station (HA13-682/24) for aeronautical exercises on July 18 south of Rhodes concerns an area “under Turkish responsibility for issuing announcements” and relayed the announcement of the exercise through the Turkish station.

A few days ago Turkey had again disputed Greece’s area of responsibility for issuing a NAVTEX in connection with the work of the Italian vessel TELIRI which was sinking a communications cable . The Italian company in order to avoid problems submitted a request for notification of its work not only to Greece and Cyprus but also to Turkey despite the fact that the area did not concern Turkey. In fact, Turkey had issued a NAVTEX which referred to work on the “Turkish continental shelf”, provoking a reaction from Athens which was expressed by issuing an anti-NAVTEX and by issuing explicit communications to Ankara.

Of course, Ankara is trying both with the issuance of NAVTEX and with pressure on companies operating ships that carry out work in the area to submit a request to the Turkish authorities, thus wanting to legitimize its challenges.

The area in which Turkey is illegally claiming responsibility for issuing NAVTEX coincides with the EEZ that Turkey has unilaterally and arbitrarily declared in the Eastern Mediterranean, overlapping the Greek potential continental shelf and part of the delimited Cypriot EEZ.

The TurkishNAVTEX:

TURNHOS N/W : 0664/24 (Antalya NAVTEX Station) (Published Date: 17-07-2024 11:30)

TURNHOS N/W : 0664/24

MEDITERRANEAN SEA

1. SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, BY AKDENİZ ARAŞTIRMA-1 BETWEEN 18 JUL-05 AUG 24 IN AREA BOUND BY;

36 07.20 N – 029 45.70 E

36 12.60 N – 030 06.00 E

36 14.40 N – 030 30.00 E

35 52.60 N – 031 32.10 E

34 59.70 N – 031 32.10 E

34 59.70 N – 029 16.10 E

35 45.00 N – 029 18.00 E

36 00.55 N – 029 44.47 E

36 03.60 N – 029 44.15 E

36 06.20 N – 029 44.15 E

WIDE BERTH REQUIRED.

2. CANCEL THIS MESSAGE 052059Z AUG 24.

TURNHOS N/W : 0662/24 (Antalya NAVTEX Station) (Published Date: 16-07-2024 19:30)

TURNHOS N/W : 0662/24

MEDITERRANEAN SEA

1. IRAKLEIO NAVTEX STATION MESSAGE HA13-682/24 TRANSMITTED COVERING A REGION IN TURKISH NAVTEX SERVICE AREA,

RETRANSMITTED BY ANTALYA NAVTEX STATION FOR MARINERS’ SAFETY.

2. AERONAUTICAL EXERCISES WITHOUT FIRING, ON 18 JUL 24 FROM 0500Z TO 0900Z IN AREA BOUND BY;

35 30.00 N – 027 40.00 E

35 00.00 N – 027 15.00 E

34 40.00 N – 028 00.00 E

35 20.00 N – 028 20.00 E

CAUTION ADVISED.

3. CANCEL THIS MESSAGE 181000Z JUL 24