Turkey warns Greece-Cyprus-Israel power cable needs Ankara's approval

Ezgi Akin

Servicemen of Yavuz class, TCG Turgutreis (F-241) warship, stand at attention on the deck as they participate in the live-fire phase of the "Blue Homeland-2026" (Mavi Vatan) tactical military exercises in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, in Antalya on April 9, 2026. — Sailors stand at attention on the deck of a Turkish warship as they participate in the live-fire phase of the Blue Homeland 2026 exercises in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, in Antalya on April 9, 2026. — Adem ALTAN / AFP via Getty Images

ANKARA — Turkey warned Thursday that a planned undersea power cable linking Greece, Cyprus and Israel cannot proceed through waters where Ankara claims rights over the seabed without coordination with Turkey.

What happened: “Under international law, activities such as laying cables or pipelines and conducting scientific research on our continental shelf must be coordinated with our country in advance,” the Defense Ministry said in a written statement.

The remarks came in response to a question about a planned multibillion-euro subsea power cable, known as the Great Sea Interconnector, to link the electricity grids of Greece, Cyprus and eventually Israel.

The Turkish ministry added that the coordination requirement was based on its 2019 maritime deal with Libya and the definition of its continental shelf that Ankara submitted to the UN in 2020.