The Greek government insists that Turkey was merely notified, not asked for permission, about survey work on a planned Greece - Cyprus power cable, as a dispute over dueling maritime notices intensified.
"Permission was requested only from the Greek and Cypriot authorities," government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis told Mega News radio.
He said the French company leading the work had simply informed other countries in the region, including Turkey and Egypt, which raised no question of sovereign rights.
His remarks came after Turkey issued a navigational warning claiming it had consented to the survey by the French ship Abeille Marengo, which sailed from Crete on Tuesday.
Mr. Marinakis said the Turkish notice "produces no effect."
He said the Foreign Ministry would brief parliament on a French diplomatic note about the survey "at the appropriate time," citing confidentiality.
Opposition critics, including former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, have accused the government of implicitly recognizing Turkish jurisdiction by allowing Ankara to be informed.
Mr. Marinakis said some were trying to exploit the issue by posing as "the Kolokotronises and Karaiskakises of the modern era," referring to heroes of Greece's 1821 war of independence.
On the economy, he acknowledged that Greece is living through "the most persistent period of high prices."
He said the government would not respond with "populism or bidding wars" and had made 91 tax and contribution cuts, including those planned for 2027.
The European Union-backed cable aims to end Cyprus' energy isolation and eventually extend to Israel.