It is stated that Athens and Paris are considering changing the route of the "Great Sea Interconnector" (GSI) electrical cable line planned to be established between Greece and the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus, due to possible reactions from Turkey.
While "Kathimerini" newspaper emphasized that the two countries agreed on a "limited redesign" of the GSI route before Turkey's objections and the new seabed surveys planned to be carried out in the Eastern Mediterranean, it wrote that Athens also kept the option of increasing its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles in the south and west of Crete on its agenda and made evaluations about its timing.
French infrastructure investment company Meridiam purchased 66 percent of the project's shares in August, and French cable manufacturer Nexans was chosen to carry out the cable laying process.
escape route
It is stated that both countries are evaluating the options offered by international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and that developments may emerge before the end of the year depending on broader regional and international conditions.
According to the news, it is envisaged that the new route being worked on will be planned to avoid the areas within the scope of the "Fethiye-Kaş Marine Park" declared by Ankara to the south of Meis on August 15. It is claimed that both countries thus want to reduce the possibility of Turkey claiming authority in the region and demanding the cessation of activities, and to prevent new obstacles to the electricity connection project. The news emphasized that the Greek side did not consider the change in question as the recognition of any Turkish jurisdiction, and that the decision was aimed at reducing geopolitical and operational risks regarding the project.
12 mile aspirations again
It was reported that another topic on Athens' agenda was the expansion of Greece's territorial waters. According to Kathimerini newspaper, Greece may increase the territorial waters in the south and west of Crete to 12 nautical miles before new seabed exploration begins in the east of Kashot and Karpaz. It is evaluated that such a step could enable Turkey's reaction to be seen in a region outside the Aegean.
The decision of the Turkish Grand National Assembly dated 1995 gives the government the authority to take necessary measures, including military measures, if Greece increases its territorial waters in the Aegean to 12 nautical miles. In Greece, this decision is widely described as “casus belli”.
Ankara's objection
According to Kathimerini, Ankara argues that simply notifying Turkey about the works is not enough, and that permission must be obtained from Ankara for activities to be carried out in regions that it considers to be under its jurisdiction. This is important before the resumption of seabed research, which must be carried out within the scope of GSI. It is stated that the next critical phase of the project is the work to be carried out in the regions east of Kashot and Karpaz. The research is expected to be carried out by a French ship. It was reported that Greece and France continued their contacts on how to progress the next stages of the project without experiencing a new tension in the region, that Paris offered various suggestions, and that the common point of the suggestions was the assessment that at least Turkey's de facto tolerance was required in order for the works to be carried out smoothly.
While it was claimed that Turkish interventions were recently recorded against ships conducting research for data cables in the Aegean, it was stated that these developments increased concerns about new studies within the scope of GSI.
Southern Cyprus is not sure about the project
In the newspaper's report, it was reminded that the developments directly concern the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus, and that the critical part of the GSI consists of the line planned to connect Cyprus to the European electricity system via Greece, while doubts were drawn about the "limited" return of the project, which has geopolitical risks. The news stated that there are question marks on the Cyprus side about the balance between the economic benefits of the project and the geopolitical risks it carries.
