Latest news with #GreekNavy
Libya Review
4 days ago
- Politics
- Libya Review
Greek Navy to Maintain Presence in Libyan Sea
Greece is continuing its naval operations in the Libyan Sea, citing the need to monitor its maritime zones, even as tensions with Libya escalate over disputed waters south of Crete. According to Kathimerini, the Greek Navy has maintained a presence in the region following an uptick in migrant boat departures from the Tobruk area towards Crete and the island of Gavdos. However, Athens now frames its deployment as essential to safeguarding what it considers sovereign maritime zones—claims Libya has formally rejected. On Wednesday, Greece submitted a letter to the United Nations Secretary-General and a diplomatic note to Libya's Tripoli-based Government of National Unity, in which it dismissed Libya's maritime claims. Libya, for its part, continues to assert its rights over these contested areas based on international law and previous agreements, including the Türkiye–Libya maritime accord. Observers in Libya view the Greek naval deployment as a provocative move that undermines efforts at dialogue and risks further militarising a political dispute. Tripoli has repeatedly called for diplomatic solutions and mutual recognition of sovereign rights rather than unilateral actions. In addition to the maritime dispute, Kathimerini reports that the Greek Navy is also monitoring increased Russian naval activity off the North African coast and the Sahel, following Moscow's reduced presence in Syria's Tartus port. While Athens justifies its naval posture as defensive, Libyan officials argue that such actions heighten regional instability and disregard Libya's strategic and economic interests in its southern maritime zones. Calls are growing in Libya for regional and international actors to support a balanced and lawful resolution to ongoing maritime disagreements, rather than favouring unilateral interpretations. Tags: CreteGreecelibyaMaritimeMediterranean
TimesLIVE
26-06-2025
- TimesLIVE
Greek court orders pretrial detention of Azeri accused of espionage
A Greek court ordered the pretrial detention on Wednesday of a 26-year-old Azeri man charged with espionage on the island of Crete which is home to a Nato military base, sources and the Athens News Agency said. The man, who has a temporary Polish residence permit, was arrested on Sunday on accusations of monitoring the base in Souda — a strategic facility for Greece, the US and the Nato military alliance in the eastern Mediterranean. The news agency said the accused man had denied the charges, saying he was a tourist on holiday to Crete with two companions. Police acted on information from the country's intelligence service, sources close to the investigation said, adding he had been staying since June 18 in a hotel room with a view that extended to the naval and air force base in western Crete. During his arrest, police confiscated a high-resolution digital camera with a telephoto lens and USB sticks from his room and found that encryption software was installed on his laptop, the sources said. The evidence included videos and photographs of a Greek Navy frigate, they said. The investigation is still in progress and authorities are investigating whether the case is linked with the arrest of a British man in Cyprus on suspicion of terror-related offences and espionage. Israel accused Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Saturday of trying to attack Israeli citizens on the island.
Straits Times
25-06-2025
- Straits Times
Greek court orders pre-trial detention of Azeri accused of espionage
ATHENS - A Greek court ordered the pre-trial detention on Wednesday of a 26-year-old Azeri man charged with espionage on the island of Crete which is home to a NATO military base, sources and the Athens News Agency said. The man, who has a temporary Polish residence permit, was arrested on Sunday on accusations of monitoring the base in Souda - a strategic facility for Greece, the United States and the NATO military alliance in the eastern Mediterranean. The Athens News Agency said the accused man had denied the charges, saying he was a tourist on holiday to Crete with two companions. Police acted on information from the country's intelligence service, sources close to the investigation said, adding that he had been staying since June 18 in a hotel room with a view that extended to the naval and air force base in western Crete. During his arrest, police confiscated a high-resolution digital camera with a telephoto lens and USB sticks from his room and found that encryption software was installed on his laptop, the sources said. The evidence included videos and photographs of a Greek Navy frigate, they said. The investigation is still in progress and authorities are investigating whether the case is linked with the arrest of a British man in Cyprus on suspicion of terror-related offences and espionage. Israel accused Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Saturday of trying to attack Israeli citizens on the island. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Herald
25-06-2025
- Politics
- The Herald
Greece to deploy frigates off Libya to curb increased migrant flows, PM says
Greece will deploy two frigates and another vessel off Libya's territorial waters to deter migrants from arriving at its southern islands of Crete and Gavdos, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Monday. Mitsotakis did not elaborate on the role of the vessels or explain what they would do, but said the move would be in coordination with Libyan authorities and European forces operating in the area. Sea arrivals from northeastern Libya of migrants trying to cross to Europe mainly from the Middle East and North Africa, including war-torn Sudan, have surged in recent months. More than 800 migrants have tried to reach Greece's southern islands since last Thursday. Mitsotakis told Greek President Constantine Tassoulas the issue was discussed during a national security and defence council on Sunday and the situation was alarming. 'I have asked the defence minister to ensure Greek navy vessels are deployed off Libya's territorial waters to pre-emptively send a message that traffickers will not command who enters our country,' he said. The three ships, including a support vessel, would leave Greece soon, two government officials with knowledge of the issue told Reuters. Greece has been a favoured gateway to the EN for migrants and refugees from the Middle East, Africa and Asia since 2015 when nearly one million people landed on its islands, causing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. Since then migrant flows from Turkey have dropped significantly. In more recent years, Greece has seen a rise in arrivals from Libya, including Sudanese nationals fleeing Egypt and Egyptian and Bangladeshi nationals, and Athens and Cairo have discussed the spike in migration flows. Greece and Libya have been trying to mend relations strained by an accord signed in 2019 between the Libyan government and Turkey. Reuters
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Greece to deploy frigates off Libya to curb increased migrant flows, PM says
ATHENS (Reuters) -Greece will deploy two frigates and one more vessel off Libya's territorial waters to deter migrants from arriving at its southern islands of Crete and Gavdos, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Monday. Mitsotakis did not elaborate on the role of the vessels or explain what they would do, but said the move would be in coordination with Libyan authorities and the rest of the European forces operating in the area. Sea arrivals from northeastern Libya of migrants trying to cross to Europe mainly from the Middle East and North Africa, including war-torn Sudan, have surged in recent months. More than 800 migrants have tried to reach Greece's southern islands since Thursday. Mitsotakis told Greek President Constantine Tassoulas that the issue was discussed during a national security and defence council on Sunday and that the situation was alarming. "I have asked the defence minister... to ensure that Greek Navy vessels are deployed off Libya's territorial waters to pre-emptively ... send a message that traffickers will not command who enters our country," he said. The three ships, including a support vessel would leave Greece in next coming days, two government officials with knowledge of the issue told Reuters. Greece has been a favoured gateway to the European Union for migrants and refugees from the Middle East, Africa and Asia since 2015 when nearly 1 million people landed on its islands, causing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. Since then migrant flows from Turkey have dropped significantly. In more recent years, Greece has seen a rise in arrivals from Libya - including Sudanese nationals fleeing Egypt as well as Egyptian and Bangladeshi nationals - and Athens and Cairo have discussed the spike in migration flows. Greece and Libya have been trying to mend relations strained by an accord signed in 2019 between the Libyan government and Turkey.
