Turkey issues NAVTEX for gas pipeline survey off Antalya, Mersin and Cyprus
Turkey released a NAVTEX notice authorising the research ship Oruc Reis and three support vessels to conduct hydrographic surveys for a planned subsea gas pipeline linking Turkey with the Turkish-occupied parts of Cyprus.
A new NAVTEX bulletin (0953/26) issued by the Antalya Hydrographic Station authorises the deployment of the research vessel Oruc Reis, accompanied by three auxiliary ships—Denar Pathfinder, Denar Echo and Kirici—to survey maritime zones stretching from Antalya and Mersin down to the waters south of the Turkish-occupied areas of Cyprus. The notice remains in force until October 25. These hydrographic operations are intended to gather data for a subsea natural-gas pipeline roughly 101 kilometres long, a project that stems from an agreement signed on July 10 between Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot administration.
The pipeline will connect Turkey directly with the Turkish-controlled parts of Cyprus, enhancing energy links in the eastern Mediterranean. One outlet's surveys represent the first concrete step toward building the pipeline infrastructure.
Why it matters
The surveys mark the first concrete move toward a new gas pipeline that could reshape energy supply and geopolitics in the eastern Mediterranean.
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