Athens responded swiftly to Ankara on Tuesday evening (10/11), as sources from the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that “the Turkish NAVTEX makes no reference to issuing a permit because no such request was ever made to the Turkish side” — a direct rebuttal to Ankara’s reaction following the departure of the French research vessel. Greek Foreign Ministry sources further clarified, regarding the Turkish NAVTEX issued in response to the French research vessel Abeille Marengo, that “Greece and Cyprus are the only countries from which a permit was requested.”
Greek Foreign Ministry sources on the Turkish NAVTEX:
- Greece and Cyprus are the only countries to which a permit application for research operations was submitted, and both issued the relevant authorizations.
- Following the issuance and publication of the Greek NAVTEX, the vessel’s exact route became known to all parties.
- The vessel’s movement was and continues to be conducted on the basis of the NAVTEX issued by the Greek authorities.
- The Turkish NAVTEX — issued after the vessel had already begun its movement and based on data that had already been made public — carries no legal weight whatsoever. Furthermore, the Turkish NAVTEX makes no reference anywhere to “issuing a permit,” because no such request was ever submitted to the Turkish side.
- Greece will follow up with an appropriate response in accordance with international law.
