Nicosia, Cyprus (AP) – The Cyprus president said on Friday that the EU was “very unhappy” with the Turkish government warning that it would hinder the laying of power cables connecting Greece and Cyprus’ power grids.
President Nikos Christodoulides told reporters that EU anger was clearly stated in conversations with senior officials, including European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen and Mediterranean Commissioner Dubravka Suica.
The EU has sent about 800 million euros ($908 million) into 1.94 billion sea interconnectors or GSIs, which will be linked to Israel’s power grid at a later stage. The total length of the cable from Greece to Israel is 1,208 km (750 miles).
The cable could not be carried out without Turkey’s consent because it would claim its jurisdiction through the waters, the media quoted an unnamed Turkish defense ministry official as saying it would.
Turkish officials called the project “provocative” because it ignored Turkey’s rights and the rights of the divisive Turkish Cyprus in Cyprus, warning that Turkish authorities would respond to any work done in the past.
They did not elaborate on what this reaction was, but Turkish warships reportedly hindered work on investigating the routes that cables would take in the waters near the Greek islands of Kasos and Karpotos.
Greek officials promised that the completion of the GSI would continue. Greece said international law is in the midst of a maritime border agreement signed with Egypt, taking into account similar agreements signed between Türkiye and Libya, which is considered legally invalid.
Türkiye has sent warships near the southern coastline of Cyprus in the past to hinder the exploration and drilling of natural gas in the waters, which is also its own.
Christodoulides raised any concerns about escalating tensions with Türkiye, saying Cyprus will not take any action, which will lead to any conflict.
But he said the Cyprus government would use legal tools available to defend its rights under international law. GSI is considered a strategic project, especially for Cyprus and Israel, which will end their energy isolation and reduce energy costs for consumers.
Greece’s independent power transmission operator is leading the project, the operator told the Associated Press that although 160 kilometers (100 miles) of cable have been produced so far, cable laying operations have not yet begun, as ocean investigations to determine the final route between Crete and Greek islands in Cyprus are still in progress.
The company is pushing the Cyprus-Israel section in terms of both technical and regulatory aspects, with more details on the progress provided after the summer.
