Hellenic Navy moving more assets to SE Aegean responding to provocation

The news took the Greek public aback, as they were becoming witness to another escalation of the crisis.

The public is not aware of terms such as "innocent passage" which is the non-provocative passage of a country's EEZ with a straight course to facilitate international commerce.

So far, the incident has not been treated with the necessary gravity, by te state mechanism. Although the Armed Forces reacted ASAP, government sources began to muddle the issue, leading to public dismay. This on the eve of the Imia incident anniversary.

Initially, the course of the Turkish research vessel was towards the west. The vessel was not accompanied by Turkish warships. These two key points were offered for some initial conclusions. In order to make safer estimates one has to know the final destination of Oruc Reis.

We have now been informed that the Turkish vessel has changed course and is heading east, with an exit route "from the Greek FIR" (is this report accurate and / or probable?) While in fact it is now accompanied by a Turkish warship (frigate), while another frigate is located. in the area watching the sail of the Greek frigate "Nikiforos Fokas" (F466).

However, the information is so far, very fragmented, and sources from the Armed Forces do not want to even comment, let alone be named.. The information about the launching by Oruc Reis of seismic sensor cables, which was circulated beginning Friday morning, was seen by some as an attempt to deal with the public presence - an exhibition of government officials and government members moving into the field of international relations.

These persons chose a slightly curious, in a subjective estimation, way to handle the matter. They attempted to pass the view that the Turkish research vessel's crew was on an  "INNOCENT PASSAGE", so ... everything is going well. Currently.

One need not be an expert in international law, and in the law of the sea (UNCLOS) in particular, to say that those who make such statements consistently "dust off" textbooks related to international maritime law by re-reading the relevant definitions.

They will find that 'safe passage' must have very specific conditions ... Because they will find that the mere presence of Turkish warships on the Turkish side makes it difficult to classify the passage as 'harmless', since it must be presumed prejudicial, that is, it does "harm the peace, order or security… of the “coastal state”!

Without having to go on further, the problems are obvious! What is a "coastal state"? Because if it is ... Turkey, as Ankara claims, then peace, order and security are NOT in danger! Has the Greek side said that the Oruc Reis passage was "harmless"?

And if they so insist, are they certain that they served the Greek national interest, or did they care to "sideline" a difficult problem from the responsibilityn of the government? Such issues that are escalating, are best met head on, and not with ignoring the issue, and clouding over the issue for the public. 

This will be updated.