Constantinople, Manolis Kostidis

References to the “Blue Homeland”, are again made by Turkish media, on the occasion of the Turkish Navtex that was issued last week in an area which overlaps the Greek continental shelf. The Italian government is even implicated in the incident. Ankara insists that this is the continental shelf, based on the map it has sent to the UN.

“Turkey did not leave Greece and Cyprus to carry out work on its continental shelf, in the Blue Homeland” reports Milliyet presenting a relevant map.

The Turkiye newspaper comments that “the commercial cable laying vessel CS TELIRI (photo Marine Traffic), owned by the Italian company Elettra, possibly after consultation with the Italian government, submitted a request to Turkey, to inform you about the works in the parts of the Turkish continental shelf within the “Blue Homeland”, in the context of the laying of a communication cable between Italy and Cyprus”.

“Turkey also issued the required NAVTEX through the Antalya station. This situation angered Greece and the “Greek Cypriot administration” (Republic of Cyprus), who according to the so-called map of Seville, the area belongs to them and therefore Larnaca was the only station that has the right to broadcast NAVTEX ».

“This determination of Turkey it made many countries wake up from their dreams about the eastern Mediterranean. They wanted to build the East Med pipeline, which bypassed the Turkish continental shelf, and planned to transport Israel’s gas to Europe. Turkey, with seismic surveys and drilling, has not retreated at all regarding its positions on the maritime areas of its responsibility,” the newspaper claims.

Milliyet

For its part, Milliyet adds that “Turkish Navtex disturbed Greece and the “Greek Cypriot administration of South Cyprus”. While the Navtex tension that started earlier in the week continues, the Antalya Station of the Department of Navigation, Hydrography and Oceanography of the Naval Forces Command updated its announcement about the operation of Teliri at 23.44 on Friday night. In this announcement it was mentioned that the activity will take place between June 29 and July 21. However, the previous Navtex coordinates of the area where the ship will work were retained as they were.”

It is noted that the reaction of the Greek authorities was immediate. A NAVTEX was issued from the Heraklion station announcing submarine cable-laying operations by C/S Teliri for the period 25 June to 23 July, listing the area under in the Greek EEZ.