One of the biggest concerns during any escalation with Iran is damage to critical infrastructure in general and energy assets in particular. Consequently, Israel has been working in recent years to promote the interconnector project to link up its electricity grid to Cyprus and Greece and from there to the rest of mainland Europe.
However, Turkey's opposition to the project has led to delays to date, preventing actual development of the plan which was launched in 2022, to actually lay underwater electricity cables between the countries in the Eastern Mediterranean. Recently, after a long period of delays, the project received significant support from the US and France.
A US State Department spokesperson said, "The US supports energy security and cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean, including through the Eastern Mediterranean Energy Center, The Trump administration remains committed to strengthening key energy partnerships that enhance global energy security and promote a safer and more prosperous future, with energy security for the US and its partners."
On Capitol Hill, US lawmakers called on Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the US International Development Finance Corporation to support the interconnector.
The call came after French infrastructure investment firm Meridiam signed an agreement earlier this month that made it the majority shareholder in the interconnector development company. Greece’s electricity transmission company, ADMIE, remains a strategic partner in the project.
The age-old conflict
At the same time, the corporation leading the interconnector and ADMIE signed an agreement with the French cable manufacturer Nexans to accelerate work on the project, starting with the completion of ground surveys.
Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis strongly supports the interconnector, partly because of the energy security it will provide to Cyprus, the only country in the EU not connected to the European electricity grid.
As part of the project, underwater power cables will be laid along some 1,200 kilometers from Crete to Cyprus, and from there to Israel.
The problem is that Turkey does not recognize the boundaries of Greece’s economic waters as set by international law and the countries in the region. Turkey, which is not a signatory to the Continental Shelf Convention and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), sees the Greek islands as an extension of Turkey. This despite the fact that the prevailing belief in the international community that islands are independent parts of the mainland that are not connected to the mainland.
This gives each island has an independent continental shelf, as a result of which it is entitled to territorial waters of 12 nautical miles. The congestion in the eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea led to a compromise, in which each island is entitled to about six nautical miles.
Alongside this, there is the Cyprus issue. Following a Greek-nationalist military coup in Cyprus in 1974, Turkey invaded the island. The same action, ostensibly intended to serve the Turkish minority in Cyprus, led to the establishment of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in 1983, a de facto state that only Turkey recognizes.
In return for that recognition, Turkey demands the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ right to economic waters. Turkey is even deploying a permanent gas pipeline from it to Northern Cyprus.
Dr. Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak, an expert on Turkey at the Moshe Dayan Center at Tel Aviv University and the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, explains that Turkey's goal in developing the gas infrastructure is not only to increase dependence on it, but also to ensure long-term dependence.
He tells "Globes," "After they have already deployed a water pipeline between the countries, now the natural gas is coming. Ankara is aiming for the fact that if there is a future agreement in Cyprus that unites the parties on the island, then it will be required to deal with a significant Turkish incursion guaranteed in the eastern Mediterranean."
The Erdogan regime is also denying Israel and Cyprus the energy security they need. In April last year, Greece brought the Italian ship NG Worker to lay cables in the area of the islands of Kasos and Karpathos (between Rhodes and Crete). However, Turkey threatened that if the cables were indeed laid, they would be cut. To prevent a confrontation, Athens decided to refrain from action.
The change in the Greek approach
But the Greek government is now presenting a much more aggressive line, in response to Turkey’s recent unexpected decision to declare the establishment of "marine reserves" in Greek areas.. The meaning on the ground is the denial of Greek rights, whether fishing, security, or the deployment of infrastructure on the seabed.
Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis told Greek TV that the Turkish move in the Aegean Sea is illegal and unacceptable. He said, "Any attempt to violate our sovereign rights will be met with all the means at our disposal. Greece is prepared for any scenario and if Turkey sends warships to the region, we will not refrain from responding.
Dr. Yanarocak observes, "Greece and Turkey have been in a constant state of rivalry, especially since the UN Law of the Sea was established. Turkey aims to resolve this with Athens bilaterally, while the Greeks do not want to lose their upper hand in the regional issue as a result of the Law of the Sea."
Israel’s Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure said, "The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure sees strategic importance in the Great Sea Interconnector project, which will enable the connection of the electricity grid to Cyprus, and from there to Greece and the EU. The project is currently in the cost-benefit analysis phase for Israel and Cyprus. After that, negotiations will take place between the countries on the division of costs and an application will be submitted for a grant from the EU, so the cost for Israel is yet to be set. At the same time, the ministry, together with the Electricity Authority and Noga, are examining other complementary aspects. According to the schedule, the cable should transmit electricity by 2034. The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure will continue to work to develop and promote the Israeli electricity sector."
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on August 27, 2026.
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2026.