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| credit defencenet |
On a diplomatic level, instructions were given to the Greek Embassy in Ankara to make representations to the Turkish Foreign ministry. The statement by the Greek Foreign Ministry said that "in the late afternoon of March 21, 2012, the Turkish research vessel (Piri Reis) entered Greece's continental shelf, northwest of Mytilene," and after consulting with the Greek Coast Guard, all necessary steps were taken. Parallel to this the Greek Embassy in Ankara was instructed to raise the matter on a diplomatic level to Turkish officials.
A report on defencenet said that the Turkish Foreign Ministry countered the claim and said that academic naval research can be carried out freely in international waters of the Aegean without coastal states having to request permission from each other. In fact Ankara noted that investigations will continue until March 29, and underlined that the Piri Reis was not conducting research for natural gas or oil."
Then what was it doing... fishing?
If we take this last statement by Ankara into account then there are some things to consider. Fine, Turks decided to do biological and oceanographic research. And this is work that is done at sea level and not on the continental shelf... The detail, which is essential for the accuracy of the news report, has no real significance. What is significant is that a Turkish research ship, without having informed and without obtaining special permission from Athens is working at an area of Greek jurisdiction; an area that might be in international waters, which means there is freedom of navigation, but because it is a research vessel conducting operations above the Greek continental shelf Greece has full sovereignty, which Turkey is trying to "exploit" illegally.
This is where all the juice is.
The good news is that the ship is being monitored discreetly by a Greek Coast Guard boat.
It is obvious that the main purpose of the Turks is not research in an area of Greek sovereignty, but to test the strength of the Greek side, and to simply determine its readiness. These are tactical moves with all eyes on the day after, when Greece begins to search for and identify hydrocarbon zones within its territorial waters.
The subject was also the highlight of Wednesday's Foreign Ministry briefing. Here are a few excerpts, according to the Greek Foreign Ministry. (Mr. Delavekouras is a spokesman for the Ministry)
A. FOURLIS: Will you tell us, if you can, what your position is, your view, whether there has really been an exchange of unofficial coordinates or notification between the Greek and Turkish Foreign Ministries regarding the movements of Greek, Turkish vessels in the Aegean, and whether this really was the practice in previous years?
G. DELAVEKOURAS: Greece’s positions are firm and based on international law and, specifically, the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea. There are channels of communication, they are open on all levels and are useful. But in no way are these channels a substitute – and in no way could they become a substitute – for the institutional and official actions and procedures demanded by the Greek side in such cases. According to the Law of the Sea on maritime scientific research in international waters over the Greek continental shelf, there is a need and request for notification of the Greek side, so that the relevant permit can be issued if required. Otherwise, the necessary representations are made. It goes without saying that there is close and ongoing cooperation with the Defense Ministry on this, as well as with the Coast Guard. This is Greece’s position, and it remains unswerving.
N. MELETIS: Mr. Spokesman, has a permit been requested from the Greek side for the research being carried out by the Piri Reis?
G. DELAVEKOURAS: So far, the information we have is that a Turkish NAVTEX has been issued, stipulating the region of the Piri Reis research. The Hellenic National Defence General Staff and Coast Guard data so far do not point to a violation of Greek jurisdiction, sovereignty or sovereign rights.
N. MELETIS: Mr. Spokesman, has the Turkish side sent any notification regarding the coordinates where the Turkish research vessel will be moving?
G. DELAVEKOURAS: No, no notification has been sent by the Turkish side of the coordinates where the Turkish vessel will be moving. I would also like to note – following the previous questions from Mr. Fourlis – that the unofficial communications that exist are not a practice and that the channels of communication, while useful, are not a substitute for the institutional procedure on the level of Foreign Ministries. This is in effect and will continue to be in effect.
N. MELETIS: At any time in the past, in this unofficial communication, has the Turkish side been informed by the Greek side regarding the movements of Greek research vessels in the Aegean?
G. DELAVEKOURAS: The Greek side has proceeded to no official notification of the Turkish side and is under no obligation to do so according to international law. At the same time, Greece has consistently requested full notification from the Turkish side, as it does from any other side, when maritime scientific research is to be carried out in a region of international waters that is over the Greek continental shelf.
On its part, and echoing the same position, Turkish officials referred to the Berne Protocal of 1976.
Greek-Turkish differences over the Aegean Continental Shelf date back to November 1973 when the Turkish Government Gazette published a decision to grant the Turkish national petroleum company permits to conduct research in underwater areas close to the Greek islands. The Turkish Government did the same in 1974, extending the areas already under license. In 1974 and 1976 research was also carried out in the Aegean by Turkish oceangraphic ships (Candarli and Hora).Meanwhile, speaking to reporters after meeting with T.Erdogan on Thursday the world bulletin quoted George Papandreou as saying that Greek officials were going to cooperate with Turkey in diverse fields despite "certain problems," while he added that Turkey and Greece have to be aware of the problems and "make efforts to solve them."
In an attempt to defuse the tension created by the Turkish action, talks were held between Greece and Turkey in Berne. On 11/11/1976 the two countries signed the Minutes of the same name setting out a framework of conduct for future handling of the issue until it was submitted to the International Court. Following Turkeys refusal to go before the Court the Berne Minutes ceased to apply.
Because of Turkeys refusal to solve the issue in the International Court, the deadlock continued until March 1987 when the Turkish vessel Sismik-1, escorted by Turkish warships, set out for the Aegean to conduct underwater research just off the coastal zone of the Greek islands, bringing the crisis to the verge of armed conflict. The crisis was defused through an exchange of messages between the two Prime Ministers, which also provided Greece with the opportunity to reiterate her constant stance on delimitation of the Aegean Continental Shelf, which remains unaltered to this day.
Source - Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs
What sort of problems?
Papandreou cited Cyprus and the issue of continental shelf as some of the problems that needed to be discussed by Turkey and Greece.
And we in Greece ask... what right does George Papandreou have to discuss the subject of Greece's continental shelf with Turkey's PM?
Papandreou is not prime minister any more.
He is not the leader of the socialist PASOK party anymore...
He is a simple MP.
Hmmm...
References
(1) Defencenet - http://www.defencenet.gr/defence/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=37444&Itemid=143
(2) World Bulletin Report - http://www.worldbulletin.net/?aType=haber&ArticleID=87570