The French research vessel Abeille Marengo departed from the port of Heraklion on November 10, 2026, heading toward the sea area southeast of Karpathos to resume bathymetric surveys for the Greece–Cyprus electrical interconnection.
Ankara Issues NAVTEX
Shortly after the vessel sailed, Turkish authorities issued NAVTEX 1127/26, claiming that the scientific research activities will be carried out along routes coordinated with the competent Turkish authorities and with their consent
within Turkey’s service area and continental shelf, referencing a United Nations letter dated March 18, 2020 (A/74/757).
The directive states that the vessel’s work for the installation of a submarine cable will run from November 10, 2026, to March 19, 2027.
Athens Rejects Claims
Greek Foreign Ministry sources dismissed the Turkish advisory, stating that Greece and Cyprus are the only countries where a work permit request was submitted and which issued relevant permits. Government representatives emphasized that the vessel’s movement relies entirely on the Greek NAVTEX 1411/26 issued on November 6 by the Hellenic Navy Hydrographic Service in Heraklion, with validity extending to March 6, 2027.
Minister of Environment and Energy Stavros Papastavrou told parliament that Turkey issued a NAVTEX and declares it gave consent without being asked by the company, noting that no permit application was ever directed to Ankara.
Pavlos Marinakis Defends Licensing Process Amid Opposition Criticism
Government Spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis addressed the sequence of events during a briefing on ERT, stating that the project’s licensing proceeded strictly through Greek and Cypriot authorities. Marinakis asserted that the French diplomatic note sent to Ankara represented the mildest possible method of government-to-government communication, while reiterating that no permission was sought from any other state.
Opposition parties voiced strong criticism regarding the diplomatic handling of the project. PASOK official Dimitris Mantzos urged the government to provide complete information regarding the precise wording of the French diplomatic note and demanded that Athens issue an immediate counter-NAVTEX against Ankara’s claims. Former Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias also commented on the legal aspects of the maritime boundaries under international law.