Greece is moving forward with the undersea electricity cable to Cyprus, with Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis clarifying that the project has not been halted due to Turkish pressure. At the same time, Greece’s military leadership has reportedly developed operational plans to protect the project’s resumption this fall, indicating a readiness to defend its strategic interests.
Gerapetritis, speaking on Monday to Action 24 television, stressed that work on the undersea cable was proceeding according to schedule and would continue as planned.
“The survey for the cable laying did not stop because of Turkey’s reaction but because it was completed as programmed. Turkey did not obstruct Greece, and the project to connect Cyprus with Greece will move forward,” Gerapetritis said.
The Minister emphasized that the cable project will advance in the coming period and issued a warning against any outside attempts at obstruction. “If a third country seeks to impede progress, there will be consequences. Greece will not cease to defend its sovereign rights,” he maintained.
Report: Greece plans to protect the Cyprus cable with the Navy
This diplomatic stance is backed by comprehensive military preparations. According to a report in Kathimerini, Greece’s military leadership has developed operational plans to protect the project’s resumption this fall, drawing on lessons from a previous incident in the Kassos area, where Turkish frigates harassed research vessels.
The Greek daily refers to unnamed military sources who claim that the armed forces are ready to respond to any scenario, deploying a significant number of naval units and utilizing aerial surveillance with Heron-type drones. The research vessel set to resume surveys is expected to sail under a discreet escort of Greek warships.
Turkey has repeatedly opposed the project, with sources from the Turkish Ministry of Defense calling the planned activities “provocative” and accusing Greece and Cyprus of proceeding without Turkey’s consent. The sources added that these efforts, driven by what they called “maximalist ambitions,” are ill-conceived and lack the necessary resources.
Amid these robust defense measures, Greece maintains its diplomatic channels with Turkey. Gerapetritis noted that a meeting between Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may take place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, as Athens hopes dialogue will help ease bilateral tensions.
Asked whether such a meeting would be substantive, he replied that “there is no such thing as a purely ceremonial encounter between the Greek prime minister and the Turkish president,” adding that Athens hopes dialogue will help ease longstanding bilateral tensions.
Related: Turkey Challenges Greece and Cyprus by Blocking Key Projects in the East Med
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