Ankara announces new NAVTEX in Aegean Sea

ANKARA

Turkey announced a new NAVTEX in the Aegean Sea’s international waters in retaliation for Greece’s recent NAVTEX announcement that violated the two countries’ bilateral agreements.

After Greece announced military training in the Aegean Sea during the tourism season, contrary to the Athens Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with Turkey, Turkey also started exercises in the Aegean Sea with the navigation announcements (NAVTEX) dated June 22 within the framework of reciprocity.

According to the information received from security sources, with the Athens MoU signed between Turkey and Greece in 1988 it was decided not to carry out exercises in the international waters of the Aegean Sea and not to declare a military training area during the busy summer tourism season between June 15 and September 15.

Taking into account the moratorium period established by the MoU, Turkey did not declare an area in international waters in the Aegean Sea between June 15 and September 15 during the planning of its 2021 operations-training activities.

Greece, on the other hand, did not comply with the agreement and declared a training area for this year, including the period determined by the moratorium.