The 40-hour standoff in the Aegean
Kathimerini chronicles the escalation and defusion of the recent Greek-Turkish crisis south of Kasos
The 40 hours between early July 22 and late on July 23, when Greek and Turkish naval forces faced off over an Italian research ship’s operations south of Kasos in the southeastern Aegean, served as a stark reminder of the ever-present danger of a conflagration in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Moreover, the almost complete absence of diplomatic interest from the United States during contacts between the two sides to defuse the situation was an alarming signal for Greek foreign policy planning and, possibly, a sign of things to come.
Information obtained by Kathimerini shows us how the events that led to the near-crisis between the two neighbors more or less unfolded.
On June 7, the Greek Foreign Ministry and the interministerial Committee for Maritime Research Licenses, acting on a request from the Independent Power Transmission Operator (ADMIE), gave the green light for an Italian ship, the Ievoli Relume, to conduct research as part of a project of common interest (PCI) funded by the European Union. The Italians were acting as subcontractors for France’s Nexans, the main contractor of the EU-ADMIE project, and were carrying out research for the future installation of underwater cables for the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI), the electricity connection between Crete and Cyprus.
It is worth noting that neither the French nor the Italian ministries of foreign affairs sought Ankara’s permission for the operation. It is also worth mentioning that at this specific phase of the project, Athens also came under some pressure from the American side, which is in favor of the GSI. In fact, well-informed sources said that pressure was being exerted both from the American side and from ADMIE for a swifter start to the research, as it was thought that simple research would not provoke a reaction from Turkey.
Pressure was being exerted both from the American side and from ADMIE for a swifter start to the research, as it was thought that simple research would not provoke a reaction from Turkey
Two weeks later, on June 21, and following a request to the Navy General Staff, as is customary in such cases, the Hellenic Navy issued a briefing on potential Turkish reactions with regard to the segment of the Ievoli Relume’s research route plotted outside Greek territorial waters but within the Greek exclusive economic zone (EEZ). However, this area is considered by Ankara to be Turkish, based on the Turkey-Libya memorandum and the letter dated March 18, 2020, to the United Nations regarding the outer limits of the Turkish continental shelf.
The Ievoli Relume began carrying out research in the contested area on July 17. On July 18 and 19, the Turkish Navy’s Gokova frigate sailed close to the Italian ship and issued a signal stating its identity and purpose. The Italian ship never responded to the signal from the Gokova, which proceeded to sail to the Turkish-occupied north of Cyprus for July 20 celebrations of Turkey’s invasion in 1974.
On July 22 and while the Ievoli Relume was carrying out its research in international waters in the strait between Kasos and Karpathos, the Gokova returned to the area. The Italian vessel was being escorted by the Greek gunboat Aitittos, yet two more Turkish ships sailed into the area, the corvette Beykoz and the frigate Gokcu. An order then came from Athens to dispatch the Hellenic Navy frigate Nikiforos Fokas, which was closely followed by the dispatch of two more missile boats from the Turkish Navy. A Hellenic Coast Guard open-sea patrol boat was also sailing in the area.
The Italians were told by the Gokcu that they were sailing over the Turkish continental shelf and were referred to Turkey’s letter to the United Nations on March 18, 2020, on the outer limits of its continental shelf in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Italians responded that they had permission from the Greek authorities and were being supported by Italy, France and the EU. They also requested that the Turkish ships maintain a distance of at least one nautical mile, as per regulations for averting collisions at sea.
The Turkish side also sent openly hostile “drive-away” and “push-away” messages for the Ievoli Relume, which was sailing in the contentious area.
Following several communications, all of the Turkish units flashed restricted maneuverability signals, with their commanders sending out messages claiming malfunctions that required them to remain stationary.
The channels of communication between Athens and Ankara were immediately activated. Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis spoke with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, several times and Greece’s deputy foreign minister, Alexandra Papadopoulou, also spoke with her counterpart in Ankara, Mehmet Kemal Bozay. Shortly after 10 p.m. on Tuesday, July 23, the crisis started abating. From the Greek side, the Italian ship was free to resume its research from 10.55 p.m. with Athens’ permission.
According to very well-informed sources, the Italian ship did not seek permission from the Turks, but it did send a notification that it was commencing research in the area to the Turkish side too. This detail subsequently led to the frigate Gokcu signaling to the Ievoli Relume that it could continue its research within the purported Turkish continental shelf. Hence, the crisis was defused, and by the morning of Wednesday, July 24, the warships had withdrawn from the area.
In the immediate aftermath of the crisis, claims emanated from Ankara stating that Athens had indirectly acknowledged that the area south of Kasos and Karpathos comes under Turkish jurisdiction; these claims were officially refuted by the Greek ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense. In order to avoid any further misunderstandings, a programmed Hellenic Navy exercise east of Rhodes was also canceled.
