A Greek Cypriot attempt to violate Türkiye’s continental shelf in the Eastern Mediterranean with a Gibraltar-flagged vessel has been thwarted, the Turkish Foreign Ministry sources said Thursday.
Greek Cypriot administration issued an illegal NAVTEX alert on Aug. 5, designating a zone within Türkiye’s declared maritime boundaries for marine research by the Gibraltar-flagged vessel Fugro Gauss as part of the “EMC” underwater fiber optic cable project. Ankara called the move yet another effort by the Greek Cypriot side to impose a fait accompli in contested waters.
In response, Türkiye swiftly deployed naval units and a maritime patrol aircraft to the area, sources said. The Fugro Gauss was warned that it could not conduct scientific activities on the Turkish continental shelf without Ankara’s prior consent. The Greek Cypriot administration’s NAVTEX was also declared null and void by Turkish authorities.
“Such unauthorized actions are in violation of international law and will not be tolerated,” a Defense Ministry official separately said, emphasizing that the Turkish continental shelf, as registered with the United Nations on March 18, 2020, remains under complete protection.
This is not the first time Ankara has intercepted an illegal attempt in the region. A similar Greek effort to assert maritime claims off Karpathos was thwarted by the Turkish Navy in July 2024.
Ministry sources noted that while the EMC project is distinct from the Great Sea Interconnector Project between Greece and Greek Cyprus, both are subject to the same legal requirements. Any cable-laying or research operations crossing Türkiye’s continental shelf must obtain permission from Ankara.
The Turkish side welcomed the cooperation of the German project owner and the United Kingdom, the flag state of the Fugro Gauss, in respecting Türkiye’s sovereign rights.
“Our commitment to our maritime rights remains steadfast, both at the negotiating table and in the field,” the Defense Ministry sources said.
Sources also warned that the Greek Cypriot administration’s repeated attempts to bypass Türkiye’s maritime jurisdiction would lead to further regional instability.
“No unilateral move that disregards the rights of coastal states can succeed. Türkiye will continue to defend its legitimate interests under international maritime law,” they added.
Relations between Türkiye, Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration have long been fraught with maritime and territorial disputes in the Eastern Mediterranean, driven by conflicting interpretations of continental shelf and exclusive economic zone (EEZ) rights.
Türkiye has consistently rejected what it views as Greece’s and the Greek Cypriot administration’s “excessive claims” to maritime zones, asserting such claims ignore the rights of both Türkiye and the Turkish Cypriots. The tensions are also rooted in the division between Turkish and Greek Cypriots.
