In a new unilateral provocative action that heightens tensions in the region, Ankara has taken action by declaring two “national marine parks” in the Northeast Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean. The relevant Presidential Decisions, published in the Turkish Government Gazette, define areas that extend far beyond Turkish territorial waters, occupying international waters as well as parts that fall within the Greek continental shelf . This move provoked an immediate and strict reaction from Athens, with the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs sending a clear message to the neighboring country.
In its relevant statement, the Greek diplomatic staff clarifies that the Turkish initiative is entirely illegal and produces absolutely no legal effect . Citing the Law of the Sea , the Ministry of Foreign Affairs underlines that no state has the right to arbitrarily create marine protected areas outside its national jurisdiction. At the same time, it is emphasized in the most categorical way that any attempt to usurp Greece’s sovereign rights on the continental shelf is legally unfounded and will not create a fait accompli in the field.
Athens is careful to highlight the profound qualitative difference between the actions of the two countries, contrasting its own stance. It is recalled that the recent Greek initiative to create National Marine Parks in the Ionian and Aegean Seas was implemented in full compliance with International Law and strictly within Greek territorial waters . In this way, the Greek side deconstructs the Turkish narrative, highlighting that the protection of the marine environment cannot be used as a pretext for questioning sovereign rights.
Such unilateral tactics unduly burden Greek-Turkish relations and seriously undermine efforts to maintain a climate of good neighborliness and mutual understanding. Instead of contributing to stability, Turkey is once again choosing the path of disputes and artificial tension in the wider Eastern Mediterranean basin.
The Greek government is communicating to all directions that it will continue to move consistently and decisively to defend national sovereignty. The safeguarding of the country’s sovereign rights, the safeguarding of the freedoms of the high seas and the effective protection of the marine ecosystem are stable priorities, which are always served with international legitimacy in mind.
