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Turkey-Greece cable dispute hits impasse as Ankara insists on prior coordination

Turkey and Greece are increasingly at an impasse over the Great Sea Interconnector project, which aims to link the power grids of Greece and Cyprus and eventually Israel.

The Hellenic Navy Roussen or Super Vita class Fast Missile Patrol Boat P 71 HS Ritsos patrols off the tiny Greek island of Kastellorizo (Megisti), in the Dodecanese, the furthest south eastern Greek Island, 2 kilometers from the Turkish mainland, on Aug. 28, 2020.
The Hellenic Navy Roussen or Super Vita class Fast Missile Patrol Boat P 71 HS Ritsos patrols off the tiny Greek island of Kastellorizo (Megisti), in the Dodecanese, the furthest south eastern Greek Island, 2 kilometers from the Turkish mainland, on Aug. 28, 2020. — LOUISA GOULIAMAKI/AFP via Getty Images

ANKARA — A dispute between Turkey and Greece over a planned undersea power cable project linking Greece, Cyprus and Israel is hardening into a stalemate, as Ankara said Thursday that it would not allow work to proceed in areas where it claims seabed rights without prior coordination.

“Under international law, any cable or pipeline laying or scientific research activities to be carried out on our continental shelf must be coordinated in advance with our country as the coastal state,” the Defense Ministry said in written comments.

Turkey “will not permit any unauthorized activity on our continental shelf,” the ministry added.

The statement came in response to a question about the multibillion-dollar electricity connection project that aims to connect the power grids of Greece, Cyprus and eventually Israel.

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