"Storm" brewing off Kasos from the provocations of the Turks - Diplomatic alert to lower tones

In the area, thevessel Ievoli Relume is carrying out investigations for laying a cable, and according to information, Turkey reacted by sending 5 units of the Turkish Navy to the area, which asked the vessel not to proceed with the completion of its work, as it is an area of ​​the "Turkish continental shelf". .

So far, according to the same sources, no attempt has been made to block the ship, while the gunboat "Aittitos", the frigate "Nikiforos Fokas" and an offshore patrol vessel of the Hellenic Coast Guard are in the area.

From Monday afternoon, an alarm was sounded in Athens and according to a diplomatic source, the effort is being made through contacts on all appropriate communication channels to prevent the situation from escaping and to decongest the situation and to complete the investigations of Ievoli Relume.

However, it is indicative of Turkish intentions that the specific ship carries out its investigations within Greek territorial waters apart from a point which is approximately half a mile outside territorial waters in international waters in an area belonging to the Greek EEZ, based on the Greek-Egyptian agreement and indeed within the potential 12 n.m. of Greek territorial waters. But even in this extreme case, Turkey hastened to attempt to enforce the Turkolib Memorandum in practice and even by sending warships to the region, a move that could lead to an escalation.

"Ievoli Relume" is carrying out surveys for which a NAVTEX of the Heraklion station of the Hydrographic Service has been issued (693/24). Turkey had also reacted by issuing its own NAVTEX (0671/24) in which it states that part of the surveys concern Turkish continental shelf area. They even hasten to refer to the letter that Turkey sent to the UN on March 18, 2020, in which it unilaterally and arbitrarily declared the external limits of its EEZ.

With this letter, for the first time, Turkey officially expressed its claim to the Blue Homeland, which, taking into account the illegal Turkolivian Memorandum, reaches to the eastern limits of the territorial waters of the Greek islands in the region.

The Turkish authorities also stated that all research activities in the area of ​​"Turkish maritime jurisdiction" should be coordinated by the competent Turkish authorities.