Turkey continues to provoke, testing Greece's resilience and tolerance
- Written by E.Tsiliopoulos
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Just two days before Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is due to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ankara has revived long-standing claims over jurisdiction in the Aegean Sea, prompting an exchange of competing navigational warnings between Greece and Turkey.
The dispute emerged after Greece issued a navigational warning, known as a Navtex, for a planned military exercise in the eastern Aegean. Turkey responded by reiterating its claims over jurisdiction east of the 25th meridian and objecting to Greece’s authority to issue such notices.
According to Greek officials, the Navtex was issued by the Lemnos island station, reserving a maritime area stretching from east of Chios to the northern parts of Samos and Ikaria for the naval and air exercise Triaina, involving units of the Hellenic Navy and Air Force.
Triaina exercise is a regular Greek naval drill focusing on operational readiness and coordination at sea. It typically includes fighter jets simulating attacks on naval units or air defense scenarios, either with live fire or simulated engagements.
The exercise is scheduled for today Monday and will be conducted without live fire, but with the deployment of personnel and equipment.
Greece’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) also issued a corresponding notice to airmen, or NOTAM, to facilitate air traffic and ensure the safety of the exercise area.
Shortly afterward, Turkey issued a counter-Navtex, asserting that Athens lacks jurisdiction to issue navigational warnings in the eastern Aegean and repeating claims that Greece is violating the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne by maintaining a military presence on certain islands.
Athens responded by issuing a new NOTAM declaring the Turkish counter-notice “null and void,” reaffirming that the CAA is the sole competent authority for air notices within the Athens Flight Information Region (FIR), and that the Hellenic Navy Hydrographic Service is responsible for issuing maritime notices in Greek waters.
The exchange follows recent statements by Turkey’s Defense Ministry responding to remarks by Mitsotakis reaffirming Greece’s right under international law to extend its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles.
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