Turkey heightens rhetoric over GSI subsea cable project

Tensions regarding the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI) project have escalated as Turkish media and political factions describe the initiative as a provocation. On October 12, 2026, reports indicated that even the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) in Turkey has formally aligned with the government's stance, declaring the GSI a national issue rather than a technical project. The CHP insists that any work within areas claimed by Turkey as its continental shelf must be coordinated with Ankara to protect its 'Blue Homeland' doctrine interests.

Conversely, Greek officials maintain that the cable project is legitimate and intend to proceed with operations within 2026. Analysts suggest that the intensified Turkish rhetoric is likely a domestic distraction from a major political and economic scandal involving the Turkish Minister of Justice and figures connected to President Erdogan’s family. While some sources suggest that a legal resolution in courts such as those in Hamburg or The Hague would favor Greece, Turkey continues to challenge the project, linking it to broader geopolitical disputes including the Turkey-Libya memorandum and regional cooperation between Greece and Israel.