The Heraklion NAVTEX Station has issued a navigation warning (NAVWARN 1441/26) declaring "invalid and without effect" an earlier message broadcast by what it described as an unauthorised station concerning survey operations linked to the installation of the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI) submarine electricity cable.
The surveys are being conducted by the French-flagged vessel VB Abeille Marengo as part of the EU project of common interest.
Response to Turkish claim
The latest Greek NAVTEX effectively cancels out the Turkish notice.
The message declared invalid, numbered FA76-1127/26, corresponds to Turkish NAVTEX 1127/26, which was issued on the evening of 10 November and stated that Turkey had consented to the commencement of the survey work.
Reference to Greek EEZ and continental shelf
According to the Greek notice, a significant portion of the survey lines, defined by two sets of 11 coordinates each, lies within the Greek Exclusive Economic Zone and continental shelf as defined under international law and Greece's Law 4001/2011.
The Heraklion station stressed that any surveys conducted in those areas must comply with the conditions set out in the Greek permits:
- 31373/07.06.2024
- 9020/11.02.2026
- 65808/06.11.2026
The notice also states that NAVWARN HA15-1411/26 remains in force.
The new warning will remain active until 20 March 2027, when it is scheduled to expire automatically.
Source: ANA-MPA
