Greece has canceled the permission for German research vessel METEOR to conduct scientific research in the Aegean Sea. The Greek decision to revoke the research license came on Wednesday after the Greeks found out that the Germans had turned to Turkey for additional permission. The German faux pas was that they asked permission by Turkish authorities to conduct research in an area for which Greece alone has responsibility.
The vessel belongs to the University of Hamburg and the METEOR mission began around the island of Limnos last week. On December 29th, Turkey ordered the vessel to withdraw from the area claiming that it had no license by Turkish authorities that had responsibility in the area.
The incident has obviously alarmed the Germans who were apparently not aware of the Greek-Turkish issues and disputes in the Aegean Sea. The METEOR captain and the University of Hamburg decided to obtain a license also from Turkey mistakenly thinking that this would be the political correct thing to do.
Little did they know.
picture via onalert.gr
Turkey issued a NAVTEX warning for nine areas in the sea between Limnos-Karpathos-Kythira where the METEOR would conduct research.
As Turkey does not have the right to issue licenses to third countries for research within the Greek territory or where Greece has sole responsibility. Athens was angered and in a coordinated move by the ministries of Foreign Affairs, National Defense and Maritime they showed the Germans where the pepper grows.
According to Greek media, a Greek Coast Guard approached the METEOR that was sailing off the island of Lesvos and urged them to stop the research as it had no longer the license.
The METEOR crew in charge told the Greeks the vessel had stopped the research.
The Coast Guard vessel reportedly remains in the area for the case that the METEOR disobeys the Greek orders. There are reports that the Coast Guard is assigned to arrest the METEOR crew if it continues with the research.
If the Germans are not aware of the Greek-Turkish territorial dispute and the interpretation of the Lausanne Treaty, then they have no business being present in the Aegean Sea. It is the first task of any vessel to establish the legal and political situation of the seas in which it intends to sail. All they would have to do is consult the German Foreign Ministry, which is doubtless fully cognisant of the legal and political situation.
Something doesn’t smell right. First step, Crew of Meteor should have contacted the German Embassy in Greece and protested immediately that this happened. Then let the authorities deal with it.