Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaks at an event in Ahlat, eastern Turkey, on August 25. [Burhanettin Duran, Head of Communications for the Turkish government/X account]
Turkey is closely monitoring plans to lay the GSI cable linking Cyprus and Greece, Greece’s cooperation with France, and repeated statements by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis that the project will move forward. Turkish officials are analyzing developments and preparing possible responses depending on decisions made in Athens.
Turkish sources told Kathimerini that Ankara does not oppose submarine cable projects or international connectivity infrastructure. However, they said that when research or cable-laying activities are planned in maritime areas where Turkey claims sovereign rights and jurisdiction, the flag state of the vessels involved should communicate with Turkey through diplomatic channels before work begins to ensure coordination and avoid conflicts. The sources said Turkey considers this approach consistent with international law and state practice.
Ankara is effectively reiterating its position that no energy project in the wider region should proceed without Turkish approval. It argues that Turkey should be informed of activities in areas where it has unilaterally declared sovereign rights. The stance echoes Turkey’s response in July 2024, when it dispatched warships to international waters near Kasos during surveys conducted by the Italian vessel Ievoli Relume for the Greece-Cyprus electricity interconnection project.
