Turkey reacted in the expected manner to the departure of the Abeille Marengo from the port of Heraklion, where it is due to begin surveys ahead of the laying of the Crete-Cyprus electricity interconnection cable.

The Antalya station issued an illegal and irregular NAVTEX, in an attempt by Turkey to present itself as the authority granting permission for the vessel’s surveys, despite the fact that the application for authorisation was submitted only to Greece and Cyprus.

Following its usual practice, Turkey issued NAVTEX 1127/26, claiming that the surveys were being conducted with the consent of the Turkish authorities, in an area under Turkish jurisdiction and on the Turkish continental shelf, as notified to the United Nations in 2020. Greece is expected to issue a counter-NAVTEX, declaring the Turkish notice invalid and without effect.

The Turkish NAVTEX states:

“Marine scientific research activities will be conducted along the lines coordinated with the competent Turkish authorities and for which the consent of the Turkish authorities has been obtained, within the Turkish NAVTEX service area and on the Turkish continental shelf in the Eastern Mediterranean, the outer limits of which were communicated to the United Nations by the letter dated 18 March 2020 with reference number A/74/757.

The said research activities for the installation of an underwater cable by the vessel ABEILLE MARENGO, between 10 November 2026 and 19 March 2027, will be conducted along the lines joining the following positions.”

The NAVTEX issued by Ankara on Tuesday, 10 November:

TURNHOS N/W: 1127/26
MEDITERRANEAN SEA

1. MARINE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ACTIVITIES WILL BE CONDUCTED ALONG THE LINES COORDINATED WITH THE COMPETENT TURKISH AUTHORITIES AND FOR WHICH THE CONSENT OF THE TURKISH AUTHORITIES HAS BEEN OBTAINED, WITHIN THE TURKISH NAVTEX SERVICE AREA AND ON THE TURKISH CONTINENTAL SHELF IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN, THE OUTER LIMITS OF WHICH WERE COMMUNICATED TO THE UNITED NATIONS BY THE LETTER DATED 18 MARCH 2020 WITH REF NR. A/74/757.

2. THE SAID RESEARCH ACTIVITIES FOR UNDERWATER CABLE INSTALLATION BY ABEILLE MARENGO, BETWEEN 10 NOV 26 – 19 MAR 27, WILL BE CONDUCTED ALONG THE LINES JOINING THE POSITIONS BELOW:

LINE 1

35 20.46 N – 027 15.61 E
35 19.85 N – 027 25.20 E
35 13.14 N – 027 35.10 E
35 01.94 N – 027 42.89 E
34 47.85 N – 028 10.04 E
34 42.47 N – 028 40.81 E
34 26.64 N – 029 25.47 E
34 23.31 N – 029 32.66 E
34 17.27 N – 029 52.26 E
34 11.80 N – 029 58.14 E
34 11.30 N – 030 05.12 E
34 11.39 N – 030 10.16 E
34 14.77 N – 030 22.77 E
34 16.58 N – 030 47.94 E
34 16.21 N – 031 01.50 E
34 12.98 N – 031 58.64 E
34 11.33 N – 032 12.28 E
34 11.59 N – 032 16.26 E

LINE 2

35 19.06 N – 027 15.23 E
35 18.46 N – 027 24.34 E
35 12.52 N – 027 33.34 E
35 00.55 N – 027 40.43 E
34 45.86 N – 028 08.84 E
34 40.75 N – 028 39.87 E
34 25.15 N – 029 24.13 E
34 21.91 N – 029 31.56 E
34 16.29 N – 029 50.62 E
34 10.31 N – 029 56.42 E
34 08.69 N – 030 03.04 E
34 09.16 N – 030 08.66 E
34 09.41 N – 030 12.39 E
34 11.58 N – 030 25.77 E
34 12.79 N – 030 44.83 E
34 13.69 N – 030 55.76 E
34 13.60 N – 031 07.73 E
34 12.80 N – 031 21.45 E
34 11.13 N – 031 31.70 E
34 08.16 N – 032 15.96 E

WIDE BERTH REQUESTED 2 NM

3. CANCEL THIS MESSAGE 200001Z MAR 27