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DE RUEHTH #1570/01 3231557
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FM AMEMBASSY ATHENS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2807
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA PRIORITY 2977
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 0218
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 0318
RHMFISS/EUCOM POLAD VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/NAVSUPPACT SOUDA BAY GR PRIORITY
RHMFISS/COMSIXTHFLT  PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L ATHENS 001570 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT ALSO FOR EUR/SE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/17/2018 
TAGS: PREL PARM MOPS GR TU
SUBJECT: GREECE/TURKEY: NAVAL STANDOFF OVER OIL EXPLORATION 
VESSEL "OVER;" LONGER-TERM CONCERNS 
 
REF: A. HOVENIER/EUR-SE E-MAIL OF NOVEMBER 16 2008 
     ¶B. ANKARA 1986 
 
Classified By: DCM Deborah McCarthy for 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1.  (C) In a 11/17 meeting with Ambassador Speckhard, MFA 
 Secretary General Aristides Agathocles confirmed that the 
immediate crisis is "over" with Turkey over a Norwegian ship 
accompanied by a Turkish frigate that had been conducting oil 
exploration approximately eighty miles south of the Greek 
island of Kastelorizo (ref A).  Following intervention by FM 
Bakoyannis with the Norwegian Foreign Minister and Greek 
approaches in Ankara, the vessel ceased its exploration and 
had departed the area. 
 
¶2.  (C) Agathocles -- a former Greek PremRep to the EU -- 
said he was "frustrated" by this situation.  Greece and 
Turkey had been close to "reaching agreement" on continental 
shelf issues from 1999 to 2004 in the context of decisions on 
Turkish EU accession.  However, this issue didn't get 
resolved, and as long as things are "left to chance," there 
will continue to be incidents.  Furthermore, Greece has not 
changed its position.  If progress isn't made, Greece will 
ultimately have to raise these issues in the context of 
Turkey's EU accession; this is neither in Greek nor Turkish 
interest. 
 
¶3.  (C) The Ambassador emphasized the importance of 
addressing Aegean-related disputes through diplomatic, and 
not military, means.  He also reiterated our desire to see 
these issues resolved equitably and on the basis of 
international law. 
 
¶4.  (C) Agathocles briefly raised the November 13 incident in 
which a Turkish naval vessel drove off two seismic research 
vessels working in agreement with Cypriot authorities (ref 
B).  Agathocles said he did not believe the two incidents 
were linked, but added that Cypriot officials had told him 
that the area where the two vessels had been operating was 
"beyond areas claimed by Turkey -- at least until now." 
 
¶5.  (C) MFA Aegean unit chief Liliana Grammatika told 
A/Political Counselor that the Greek MFA believed that the 
issue had been resolved by Norway and not/not Turkey.  After 
FM Bakoyannis spoke to Norwegian FM Store on November 15, 
Greece received assurances from both the Norwegian government 
and the Norwegian company that owned the vessel in question 
that it would no longer conduct operations in an area that 
Greece claimed as part of its continental shelf.  Grammatika 
added that the vessel had not departed the area until Sunday 
due to "either mechanical problems or something else," but 
was now "no longer there."  Grammatika noted that the 
Norwegian MFA website now had a short statement on the issue, 
which noted that while Norway does not take positions on 
unresolved issues of maritime delimitation between third 
States, it is essential for Norwegian companies to "ensure 
that they have all necessary authorizations." 
 
¶6.  (C) Grammatika added that Greece has consistently raised 
the question of the dlimitation of the continental shelf in 
the Grek-Turkish "exploratory talks," but that there has 
been "no progress."  Greece wants this resolved "on the basis 
of international law."  She reiterated that Greece's position 
on the continental shelf "differs" from Turkey's, in that 
Greece asserts that under international law, the continental 
shelf should extend 200 miles from national territory, 
including islands.  Turkey argues that the continental shelf 
extends only from the mainland and excludes islands.  She 
added that Greece recognizes that Turkey has legitimate 
interests that need to be addressed, and it is for that 
reason that Greece continues to seek arbitration, preferably 
from the ICJ, on the question of the continental shelf. 
 
¶7.  (C) Turkish Charge told DCM he had been called to the 
Foreign Ministry on Saturday, November 15, over the Norwegian 
ship exploration.  In his view, the GOG was focused on 
avoiding press criticism of how it handled the issue. Noting 
that the continental shelf disputes had been going on for 
years, he added that Greece, in his opinion, would rather 
deal with the issues in the context of EU accession, since 
other mechanisms such as the ICJ would not necessarily be 
favorable to Greece.  Overall, he commented, the tone of the 
 
 
relationship was good at the political level. 
SPECKHARD