Greece, France Consider Rerouting GSI Cable Around Türkiye’s Marine Park

Greece and France are considering shifting the Great Sea Interconnector route to avoid a marine park declared by Türkiye near Kastellorizo (Meis).

The possible adjustment follows Türkiye’s August 15 declaration of the Fethiye-Kaş marine park.

Athens and Paris see a limited route change as a way to reduce the risk of Türkiye seeking to halt work in the area, as they seek a way to resume work on the Crete-Cyprus power cable.

A Route Under Review

The proposal remains under discussion, according to Kathimerini.

The sources described it as a “light redesign” and said avoiding the park would be a practical measure, rather than an acknowledgment of Turkish authority over the cable project.

Athens and Paris intend to notify Türkiye of survey activity rather than seek its permission, citing their interpretation of the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Ankara, according to the sources, maintains that notification alone is insufficient and that its approval is required.

French involvement has grown. Meridiam took a 66% stake in the project in August, Nexans is set to lay the cable, and a French-flagged vessel is expected to conduct survey work.

Surveys Still Outstanding

About 40% of seabed surveys remain unfinished in sensitive waters east of Kasos.

Turkish warships interrupted work there in 2024, and no date has been fixed for a new survey attempt.

The project also faces skepticism in Greek Cyprus, where its geopolitical risks and expected benefits have been questioned.

Greece is separately considering extending its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles south and west of Crete before surveys resume east of Kasos and Karpathos.

Sources said Athens sees that step as a way to assess Türkiye’s response.

Decisions on the cable route and territorial waters could come before the end of the year, depending on regional and international conditions.

Neither a route change nor a new survey schedule has been finalized.