Turkey on Friday issued two separate NAVTEX communications for the Aegean Sea, with diplomatic sources in Greece stressing that the timing of their release and the long duration (2 years) indicate Ankara’s intention to revive its illegal revisionary claims in the Aegean Sea.
The first NATVTEX is a general reminder: “covering the Turkish continental shelf in the Aegean Sea,” claiming that any exploration activities would require coordination with the competent Turkish authorities.
The second NAVTEX issued refers to specific Greek islands by name (Thasos, Agios Efstratios, Psara, Samothrace, Lemnos, Lesvos, Chios, Ikaria, Samos, Astypalaia, Rhodes, Halki, Karpathos, Kasos, Tilos, Nisyros, Kalymnos, Leros, Patmos, Leipsoi, Symi, Kos, Kastellorizo island complex,) claiming they are under a “permanent demilitarized status”.
The timing of the release is especially troubling, as pundits note that it came shortly before a definitive date is agreed upon for a scheduled meeting between Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Sources in Athens believe the move is an attempt by Ankara to raise contentious matters before the meeting between the two leaders, slated for the first two weeks of February.
The Turkish side is invoking its own interpretation of international texts (the Treaties of Lausanne and Paris, and the London Conference), arguing that Greek military exercises within the territorial waters of these islands constitute a “violation of international treaties” and a “risk to navigation.”
It is worth noting that Ankara avoids explicitly naming Greece or its Hydrographic Service, instead referring vaguely to “certain stations,” in an effort to delegitimize the Greek state entity in the issuance of lawful navigational notices.
