The appearance of a Turkish corvette northeast of Crete on Saturday underscored Ankara’s growing assertiveness in the Eastern Mediterranean, signaling its unwillingness to find a solution that would eventually allow the implementation of the Greece-Cyprus electricity interconnection project (Great Sea Interconnector – GSI) in a way that would not result in a prolonged crisis similar to that of 2020.
The incident, along with Turkey’s persistent interference in undersea cable surveys near Kasos, reflects a broader strategy of contesting Greek maritime activities, defying the spirit of the Athens Declaration meant to ease Aegean tensions.
Turkey’s reactions extend beyond the GSI project. Ankara has consistently opposed Greece’s efforts to exercise its maritime rights, notably in the designation of marine parks, a process repeatedly altered under pressure. Similarly, Greece’s decision to limit offshore wind farm developments within its 6-nautical mile territorial waters reveals an attempt to avoid escalating disputes with Turkey. These measures highlight Athens’ delicate balancing act between asserting sovereignty and maintaining regional stability.
Tensions will no doubt continue to simmer due to Greece’s imminent announcement of its Marine Spatial Planning, a legal obligation under EU law delayed for years, incurring fines from Brussels. Since such a plan includes the maritime zones of an EU member-state, it is extremely difficult to submit something that would deviate from the existing delimitations (with Italy and – partially – with Egypt).
As for the non-delimited areas, the maximum possible boundary will be followed, with the note that it will change when agreements are reached with other coastal states. Such delineations are likely to provoke strong reactions from Ankara.
Diplomatic schedules are strained amid these frictions. Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis and his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan recently discussed timelines for leadership meetings. However, domestic political milestones, including Greece’s presidential transition in March and ongoing controversies like the Tempe train crash, coupled with Ankara’s reluctance for substantive dialogue, may postpone the next High-Level Cooperation Council between Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.