The Turkish government has taken a new provocative action, which in practice questions the sovereign rights of Greece in the eastern Mediterranean, baptizing “Turkish continental shelf” area south of Karpathos.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Turkish Authorities through the Antalya station issued a NAVTEX (0671/24) in response to yesterday’s NAVTEX issued by the Heraklion Station for investigations related to the laying of a submarine cable by the ship IEVOLI RELUME in the Carpathians and the Kasos Strait for the period July 17-29.

The Turkish NAVTEX points out that part of the research concerns the area of ​​the Turkish continental shelf. They even hasten to refer to the letter that Turkey sent to the UN on March 18, 2020, in which it unilaterally and arbitrarily declared the external limits of its EEZ.

Also, the Turkish Authorities further state that all research activities in the area of ​​”Turkish maritime jurisdiction” should be coordinated by the competent Turkish Authorities.

The Turkish NAVTEX issued by the hydrographic station of Antalya:

TURNHOS N/W : 0671/24 (Antalya NAVTEX Station) (Published Date: 18-07-2024 15:56)TURNHOS N/W : 0671/24
MEDITERRANEAN SEA
1. SOME PART OF AREA PROMULGATED WITH NAVTEX NR. HA41-693/24 IS WITHIN TURKISH CONTINENTAL SHELF DECLARED TO UNITED NATIONS, ON 18 MARCH 2020 WITH REF NR. A/74/757.
2. ALL RESEARCH ACTIVITIES IN TURKISH MARITIME JURISDICTION AREA MUST BE COORDINATED WITH RELEVANT TURKISH AUTHORITIES.
3. CANCEL THIS MESSAGE 202100Z JUL 24.