In a recent article we referred to the "Launch of the Cyprus-Crete cable interconnection under the Euro-Asia Interconnector", noting that the Independent Electricity Transmission System Operator has instructed Nexans to "reserve" the necessary capacity for cable production and initiate the relevant procedures, which marks the first important step in the contract signed last July.
The reaction of the Pseudo-state to the launch of the Cyprus-Crete cable connection
There was an immediate reaction from the Pseudo-State, which according to Turkish media, "condemned the 'maritime spatial planning' approved by Southern Cyprus, claiming that it is not valid under international law" , noting:
"The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Friday denounced the "maritime spatial planning" approved earlier this week by the Greek Cypriot administration.
The foreign ministry said the unilateral approach was "unacceptable".
"Apart from the so-called 'maritime spatial planning' announced by the Greek Cypriot administration ignoring the rights and interests of Turkish Cypriots, Southern Cyprus has gone as far as publishing a map that overlaps with the maritime jurisdiction areas declared by Northern Cyprus and Turkey," it said in a statement.
"This so-called plan and map, in which the Turkish Cypriot people have no say, are invalid under international law and have no validity for us," he said.
"Despite all our constructive appeals, the Greek Cypriot administration, which has continued to violate the equal rights of the Turkish Cypriot people on the island and its surroundings with its unilateral activities, has once again shown its preference for escalating tension rather than cooperation on the island and in the Eastern Mediterranean region," he added.
Tatar underlines the role of the Turkish military in Cyprus
For his part, President Tatar of the pseudo-state underlined the deterrent role of the Turkish army, urging respect for the will of Turkish Cypriots, stating:
"The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) attaches importance to the presence of the Turkish army as a deterrent force in Cyprus under the guarantor country of Turkey, drawing its "red lines", the TRNC President said on Friday.
Speaking at an event in the capital Nicosia to commemorate the 1963 Christmas Day massacre by a Greek terrorist group, Tatar said how in the past decades Turkish Cypriots suffered massacres and Greeks on the islands tried to annex the island to Greece, saying: "There are still those who dream of this."
He accused how the international community continues to put pressure on the Turkish Cypriot people, intending to include the north and south in the EU and to break historical ties with Turkey.
Stressing that the Turkish Cypriot people do not want to return to the era before the 1974 Turkish Peace Operation, Tatar said: "The world must respect the will of the Turkish Cypriot people. We attach importance to the presence of the Turkish army as a deterrent force under the guarantee of our homeland within the framework of our own state. These are our red lines."
Referring to the two-state solution, he said: "We can only accept a solution model where two sovereign equal states cooperate side by side. We cannot and must never agree to be dragged into an adventure without Turkey, without the guarantee of our own homeland."
How will Turkey react?
From the above, we understand that the Pseudo-State appears annoyed by the advancement of the electricity transmission cable project that was launched between Cyprus and Crete under the Euro-Asia interconnector.
However, events are moving fast since an agreement has already been signed with the Israeli fund Aluma and MoU between the Independent Electricity Transmission Operator, and the TAQA fund from the United Arab Emirates, while the USA is also showing a keen interest in the project.
Both the US and the EU want calm to prevail in the SE Mediterranean and the Aegean, since they wish to "unlock" the transfer of electricity from Asia-Africa and natural gas from the SE Mediterranean (Cyprus-Israel) to the European continent, but also to continue sending US military equipment via Alexandroupolis to Ukraine-Eastern Europe and the Balkans.
Our assessment is that the recent Turkey-Greece rapprochement that is being attempted is based on energy in the SE Mediterranean, with the determination of the energy pie for each country preceding the delimitation of the EEZ-continental shelf of the two countries, according to the Turks (kazan-kazan), while other actors such as Cyprus-Israel-USA and Gulf countries are also entering the game.
Finally, we believe that all this is and will be done in relation to the Cyprus-Crete cable interconnection, with the "tolerance" of Turkey, since the delimitation of the Greek-Turkish and Greek-Cypriot EEZs will not be done earlier, nor will the Cyprus problem be resolved.
Otherwise, we expect the Greek Navy to take on the role of providing discreet security for the project, although the US is already sending the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Gerald Ford to Crete, just in case, which is expected to dock in Souda on December 26.
