The Greek-Turkish dispute is once again centering on the Greece-Cyprus electricity interconnection project (Great Sea Interconnector — GSI), following statements by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis that cable-laying procedures will resume in the coming period.
GSI: Meridiam’s stance and the key question of notifying Ankara
The central question now is what position the parties involved will take — particularly French investment firm Meridiam, which has entered the project as majority shareholder. While the prevailing scenario suggests the French company will notify Ankara of the works, the exact process and method for doing so remain unclear. Meanwhile, the Turkish government has been leaking information to the press suggesting that diplomatic coordination between the two countries is required for any underwater survey activities.
Stambolís on GSI: “Responsibility lies with ADMIE”
According to Kostis Stambolís, President and Executive Director of the Institute of Energy for South-East Europe (IENE), the French company has no grounds to intervene, as operational responsibility belongs entirely to ADMIE (Greece’s Independent Power Transmission Operator). As he explains, there is a fundamental distinction between the investment role and the administrative responsibility for the project. Meridiam is exclusively an institutional investor and is not involved in the construction, operation, planning, or management of the interconnector. Full responsibility and management of the GSI rests entirely with ADMIE, from start to finish. As such, Meridiam is completely “out of the picture” when it comes to operational decisions. It has neither the authority nor any substantive operational role to intervene, negotiate, or submit licensing requests to the Turkish side.
Stambolís: “They will not risk a military incident”
The IENE President believes the project will advance smoothly, in line with international practice. This means that “in the coming months, Greece will need to issue a NAVTEX to close off the area where the maritime surveys will take place, followed by a NAVTEX from Cyprus as well. If Turkey tries to interfere with the vessels, Greek and French ships present in the area will respond. However, I believe nothing will ultimately happen. Turkey will not risk a military incident over something that is legal and internationally recognized. They will simply make noise. In practice, they cannot do anything — just as they did nothing when Greece published its Maritime Spatial Planning Map. Because at this stage, Turkey does not want to damage its relationship with the European Union, as it is pursuing other benefits — participation in defense programs, construction contracts, and other projects.”
Stambolís on Turkey’s demand: “This cannot be accepted”
For its part, Ankara — through diplomatic sources and Turkish media outlets such as Hurriyet — claims it does not oppose cable-laying in principle. However, it is demanding that states involved in such activities first communicate with it through diplomatic channels, effectively seeking to be granted a formal permit. Under the Law of the Sea, however, no obligation exists to seek permission from a coastal state in international waters. Turkey’s demand to gain a say in the project through a licensing process is considered institutionally unacceptable and, as Stambolís pointedly notes, “this cannot happen.” Routine technical notification between grid operators, or the sharing of information through the European Commission, is fundamentally different from any kind of licensing procedure, the IENE President told parapolitika.gr.
What the notification will include: area and duration of the surveys
Nevertheless, in an effort to de-escalate tensions, the approach currently being shaped by Athens and Paris centers on sending an informational memorandum to coastal states in the region, including Turkey. This notification — which is expected to be sent by the French side, as the research vessel will sail under a French flag — will specify the survey area and the expected duration of the works. It is made clear, however, that this step will constitute strictly a notification of the commencement of works and will in no way represent a request for a permit, as Turkey is demanding.
New friction in Cyprus over the cost of the GSI
Meanwhile, the cable project is once again stirring controversy in Cyprus — this time between DIKO party leader Nikolas Papadopoulos and Finance Minister Makis Keravnos, himself a DIKO member. Papadopoulos criticized Keravnos for continuing to raise objections to the project on the grounds of financial cost. Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulidis, who has publicly committed his government to delivering the project, is expected to take steps to defuse the crisis upon his return from New York.
