Greek Ex‑Ambassador Giorgos Aifantis Says Turkish Warships Blocked Undersea Cable Project

Retired Greek ambassador Giorgos Aifantis told a Turkish‑focused TV program that Turkey dispatched warships to the Eastern Mediterranean, forcing Greece to abandon a planned undersea cable between Çoban Island and Crete. He said, “We could not even lay a cable without Turkey’s permission, because they sent warships,” accusing Ankara of thwarting the project.

Aifantis also linked the incident to broader defence issues, noting U.S. President Donald Trump’s positive remarks about possible F‑35 sales to Turkey. He argued that if Turkey acquires the jets it will reverse‑engineer them to develop its indigenous fifth‑generation fighter, the KAAN, and that this would elevate Turkey to a “second regional power” in the area.