What lies behind President Erdoğan's subtle statement, "If we shouted from Kaş, would they hear us?"
- First, Türkiye issued a NAVTEX. It announced that the TÜBİTAK MARMARA vessel would be conducting research within Türkiye's maritime jurisdiction in the Eastern Mediterranean.
- Greek media wrote that the area in question was "Greek territory."
- Greece issued a counter-NAVTEX, claiming that the area where the Turkish vessel would be located belonged to them.
- Ankara ignored this NAVTEX. The TÜBİTAK MARMARA vessel proceeded to the region and began its work.
- Greece sent one Heron UAV to the region, conducting reconnaissance flights around the Turkish vessel.
- Türkiye sent a UAV, launched from Dalaman, to the area.
- Following the UAVs, Türkiye sent a submarine to the region. (Docking in Kaş)
- Athens' response was the arrival of one Greek coast guard vessel in the area. (Docking in Meis)
- As of today, the TÜBİTAK MARMARA research vessel continues its routine research activities just outside the 6 nautical mile territorial waters of Kızılhisar (Meis) island (approximately 6.5 nautical miles from the island).
- Türkiye thus demonstrated on the ground that it does not recognize Greece's 12 nautical mile claims in any way.
- President Erdoğan, in a statement to journalists on the plane returning from Bishkek, used an interesting phrase: "If we were to send a message from our landmass, from Kaş, to Greece, they would hear it, wouldn't they?"
