Taçoy: Cyprus-Lebanon cable requires Türkiye’s approval
Economy and Energy Minister Hasan Taçoy has said a planned undersea electricity interconnection between Cyprus and Lebanon would require Türkiye’s approval if work takes place in maritime areas claimed by Ankara.
Speaking to the Cyprus Mail, Taçoy said Türkiye would have the final say over research, surveys or cable-laying activities in areas it considers to fall within its maritime jurisdiction.
Taçoy said any planned maritime activity in what Türkiye describes as its “Blue Homeland” could not proceed without Ankara’s consent.
He said seabed surveys and cable-laying operations require the issuing of a NAVTEX, adding that Türkiye issues such notices for areas over which it claims jurisdiction.
Taçoy referred to previous disputes surrounding the Great Sea Interconnector between Cyprus and Crete, saying the same principle would apply whether a cable extended towards Lebanon or Israel.
Türkiye, Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration have longstanding differences over maritime jurisdiction in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration base their positions on the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, while Türkiye, which is not a party to the convention, maintains a different interpretation of maritime boundaries and the rights generated by islands.
Meanwhile, Cyprus and Lebanon have begun technical discussions on the feasibility of the proposed electricity interconnection, with a World Bank-supported study examining its economic and technical viability.
