Türkiye says French-flagged vessel plans unauthorized research in Eastern Mediterranean

Türkiye said Friday that a French-flagged vessel was planning to conduct unauthorized marine scientific research on its continental shelf in the Eastern Mediterranean, stressing that the required consent process had not yet been completed.

In a written statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said the vessel intended to carry out "unlawful" marine scientific research related to cable-laying activities within Türkiye's continental shelf, whose outer limits were notified to the UN on March 18, 2020.

The ministry said Türkiye had canceled unauthorized navigational warnings issued by Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration in connection with the planned activities.

It stressed that the process for obtaining Türkiye's consent, as required under established principles of international maritime law, had not yet been completed for the portion of the planned activities falling within its continental shelf.

"Türkiye remains fully determined to protect its sovereign rights arising from international law," the ministry said, adding that Ankara would continue to pursue an approach based on cooperation, dialogue and coordination in the region.