In the familiar tactic of challenging Greece’s sovereign right to carry out any kind of work or research outside Greek territorial waters, even in areas falling within the Greek potential shelf of the Aegean Sea, Turkey has returned on the occasion of the conducting of surveys by the vessel “FILIA” between Lemnos and Samothrace.

On July 5, a Greek NAVTEX had been issued for scientific research to be carried out by the “FILIA” from July 4 to 15. The scientific research does not require a permit from the coastal state, but only the issuance of a notice for the safety of navigation.

Despite this, Turkey was quick to issue a NAVTEX (0650/25) on the evening of 7 July, stating that certain areas of Greek NAVTEX LA37/096/25 fall within the Turkish continental shelf in the Aegean, the boundaries of which are yet to be delineated between the coastal countries. Also, the Turkish NAVTEX calls for all research activities in the area of Turkish maritime jurisdiction to be coordinated by the relevant Turkish authorities.

Turkey thus not only claims the authority to issue NAVTEX in the Aegean, but also directly challenges the potential Greek continental shelf in this area of the Northern Aegean, and insists on the tactic of essentially demanding that any activity by Greece in the exercise of its sovereign rights be restricted to only within its 6 nautical mile territorial waters.

The Greek NAVTEX

ZCZC RA37
051130 UTC IOYL 25
STATHMOS LIMNOU AR.MIN. 096/25
VOREIO AIGAIO PELAGOS
THRAKIKO PELAGOS
EREVNITIKES ERGASIES
THA PRAGMATOPOIITHOYN APO TO PLOIO ‘FILIA’
APO 04 IOYL 25 MECHRI 15 IOYL 25
STIN GRAMMI POU ENONEI TA SIMEIA:
40-54.26B 025-16.80A
39-58.37B 025-17.14A
KAI STIN GRAMMI POU ENONEI TA SIMEIA:
40-51.72B 025-29.88A
40-30.14B 025-29.98A
KAI STIN GRAMMI POU ENONEI TA SIMEIA:
40-50.16B 025-42.67A
40-20.32B 025-43.20A
KAI STIN GRAMMI POU ENONEI TA SIMEIA:
40-19.67B 024-50.76A
39-26.93B 024-50.92A
KAI STIN GRAMMI POU ENONEI TA SIMEIA:
40-22.02B 025-04.02A
39-59.75B 025-03.89A
KAI STIN GRAMMI POU ENONEI TA SIMEIA:
39-49.53B 025-03.95A
39-24.34B 025-04.07A
KAI STIN GRAMMI POU ENONEI TA SIMEIA:
39-47.34B 025-16.93A
39-27.85B 025-17.03A
KAI STIN GRAMMI POU ENONEI TA SIMEIA:
39-57.48B 025-30.10A
39-29.98B 025-30.20A
KAI STIN GRAMMI POU ENONEI TA SIMEIA:
39-54.20B 025-39.55A
39-34.44B 025-39.80A
KAI STIN GRAMMI POU ENONEI TA SIMEIA:
40-13.60B 025-25.45A
40-24.95B 025-30.07A
KAI STIN GRAMMI POU ENONEI TA SIMEIA:
40-13.60B 025-25.45A
39-57.44B 025-30.14A
TIREITAI APOSTASI ASFALEIAS
AKYROSI MINYMATOS TIN 152200 UTC IOYL 25
NNNN

The Turkish NAVTEX