Ankara is once again gradually increasing the pressure on Greece, focusing recently on search and rescue operations. After the incident with the collision of the two cargo ships, of which the one of Turkish interests, refused Greek assistance despite the fact that it was clearly within the Athens FIR and the case of the illegal seizure of an area within the Greek search and rescue area on the occasion of the SOS which aired a sailing vessel with an American citizen who was later found dead and the Turkish Coast Guard corvette that displayed its flag for at least a week after, Ankara is back again with the games around the 25th meridian.
Specifically, Ankara, after lying to Athens that it did not fulfill its request to reserve five areas and six corridors between the areas for Search and Rescue exercises from June 23 to July 18, with the illegal NOTAM A4424/23, proceeded with the unilateral commitment " cutting" the Aegean in two and "isolating" the islands of the Eastern Aegean.
And the most recent (October 2020) expansion of the Turkish search and rescue area in the Eastern Mediterranean, so that it coincides with the boundaries of the new expansive Turkish narrative of the "Blue Homeland", demonstrates that Turkey uses search and rescue as another vehicle for promoting its revisionist and expansive views on maritime zones beyond any concept of international law. In any case, it is noted that in practice, Greece, through the competent Greek Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) in Piraeus, effectively coordinates all search and rescue operations, providing services to all those at risk. ships and planes within the Greek area of responsibility".
Turkey's revisionism also regarding Search and Rescue operations is clear in the text posted by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs where it specifically states:
"Search and Rescue Areas in the Aegean
The 1979 International Maritime Search and Rescue Convention (Hamburg Convention) states that "any search and rescue area shall be established by agreement between the parties concerned".
Despite Turkey's continued efforts to reach an agreement with Greece under the Hamburg Convention, search and rescue areas in the Aegean have not yet been demarcated. Accordingly, the two countries have unilaterally declared their respective search and rescue areas and informed the International Maritime Organization.
Turkey continues to provide effective Search and Rescue services in the declared Search and Rescue Region, including the distribution of distress alert data within the Cospas-Sarsat system."
