Greece Halted Cable Surveys After Turkish Warships Appeared

Stay connected to Greek City Times for Free on Google News
Click NOW

Greek New Democracy MP and international law professor Angelos Syrigos has said Greece backed down twice in 2024 after Turkish warships intervened during seabed surveys for the Greece-Cyprus electricity interconnection project.

Speaking to ERTNews about Greece’s response to Turkish moves, Syrigos referred to two incidents in 2024. In July, Turkey deployed five warships to the area as Greece carried out seabed surveys, while another incident involving Turkish naval vessels occurred in November.

“In both incidents, we backed down. We did not continue the seabed surveys,” Syrigos said.

The presenter, Panagiotis Stathis, then asked him to confirm: “We backed down?”

“Yes,” Syrigos replied, explaining that Greece believed the issue could be resolved through dialogue and the provisions of international law governing the laying of cables.

Greece changed its approach

Syrigos said Greece had based its initial approach on previous experience in the wider area. Between 2003 and 2023, seven cables had been laid in the region without similar problems, creating an expectation that the new project could proceed in the same way.

The events of 2024, however, led Athens to conclude that Turkey was not prepared to reach an understanding through the approach used in the past, according to Syrigos.

He said the period of Greek retreats had now ended and that Greece would proceed with its planning for the cable, insisting on what he described as its sovereign rights.

Syrigos’s comments have also drawn attention in Turkey. Anadolu Agency reported his remarks under a headline stating that a Greek MP had acknowledged Greece “backed down” in 2024 after Turkey sent warships to the area.

The Greece-Cyprus electricity interconnection has been a recurring point of tension between Athens and Ankara, particularly over maritime activities associated with the project. Syrigos has previously said that Greece faces the challenge of proceeding with the cable while avoiding a military confrontation and without accepting a requirement to seek Turkish permission.

Stay updated with the latest news from Greece and around the world on greekcitytimes.com.
Contact our newsroom to share your updates, stories, photos, or videos. Follow GCT on Google News and Apple News.