Greece’s Heraklion NAVTEX station has issued a NAVTEX message for the French research vessel "Abeille Marengo," which is scheduled to conduct operations as part of an electrical cable project between the island of Cyprus and Greece.
Accordingly, the vessel will carry out operations along the route indicated below—between Crete and Cyprus—from November 6, 2026, to March 6, 2027.
According to Greek sources, Athens has prepared a three-stage plan to be implemented should Turkey react to—or intervene militarily against—the French vessel "Abeille Marengo":
1) The first stage involves Turkey issuing a counter-NAVTEX, asserting that the area lies within the Turkish continental shelf.
In this scenario—characterized as "low-intensity tension"—Greece would deploy vessels, such as frigates or gunboats, to the area, while radar systems and aerial assets would monitor the region.
2) The second stage entails the arrival of the Turkish Navy, the issuance of warnings, and the escalation of the situation into "medium-intensity tension."
According to Greek sources, this phase would involve a tactic described as "shadowing": Greek frigates and fast-attack missile craft would establish a "robust defensive perimeter" around the research vessel, Turkish ships would be "warned," and, if necessary, support from air assets would be requested.
3) The third stage concerns a situation of "high-intensity tension"—specifically, a scenario in which Turkish vessels, through what the Greeks would deem "aggressive" maneuvers, attempt to intervene against the French ship and forcibly obstruct its operations.
In such an event, according to Greek sources, "rules of engagement" would be activated against the Turkish Navy.
- Ta Nea -