Tensions rise over Greece-Cyprus electrical interconnection project

Tensions are rising in the Eastern Mediterranean as Greece prepares to resume surveys for the Greece-Cyprus electrical interconnection project. Athens has scheduled the issuance of a NAVTEX for survey operations to take place between October 15 and 26. The French company Meridiam is overseeing the project, while its subcontractor, Nexans, has officially denied any communication with Turkish authorities regarding the project.

Ankara continues to challenge the project, claiming the area as part of the Turkish continental shelf based on its 2020 UN filings. Turkey is demanding prior notification and approval for the works, a position Greece rejects as an illegal infringement on its sovereign rights and its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) demarcated with Egypt. Greek Environment and Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou stated that no Turkish permission is required or will be requested for the implementation of the interconnection.

Political analysts suggest that Turkey intends to treat any notification as a form of authorization to establish a precedent on the seabed. As the October window for the seabed surveys approaches, the Greek government maintains that the project will proceed without seeking Turkish approval, setting the stage for a potential diplomatic or field confrontation.