Greece’s sovereign right to extend its territorial waters up to 12 nautical miles has been brought back into public discussion by both Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis and Defense Minister Nikos Dendias, just days before the High-Level Cooperation Council meeting in Ankara, which appears set to take place in the first half of February.
12-mile territorial waters: The message from Gerapetritis and Dendias ahead of Turkey’s High Council
In his interview with Action24, Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis reiterated Greece’s established position on its right to unilaterally extend territorial waters up to 12 miles, as provided by the International Convention on the Law of the Sea. However, this reference covered not only the Aegean, but “other areas of the country” as he stated. His comment about potential inter-party consultation on the extension, which could lead to relevant legislation, also attracted attention. Diplomatic sources speaking to parapolitika.gr maintained that “there is no discussion of such a possibility at this time.”
Minister Gerapetritis characteristically stated in his interview: “Greece, the Greek government, has already extended territorial waters in the Ionian Sea up to Cape Tainaro. The extension to 12 miles in the remaining areas of the country remains. This is a matter concerning our country’s sovereignty and therefore is a unilateral right. It is not open for discussion, not open for negotiation, except among Greek political formations, the Greek government and the Greek Parliament. When deemed appropriate and after the required consultation, the relevant legislation will be introduced.”
One day after Giorgos Gerapetritis, Defense Minister Nikos Dendias declared in yesterday’s interview with OPEN: “What does International Law provide? It provides the right to territorial waters up to twelve miles. Up to twelve miles, this is exactly the expression of the relevant article. But it provides this as a hard core right of every state’s sovereignty. We cannot demand that Turkey negotiate with us whether it will have six, twelve, seven or four miles,” he emphasized, indirectly responding to Hakan Fidan’s well-known statement about Aegean delimitation.
What Kostas Yfantis tells parapolitika.gr
International Relations Professor Kostas Yfantis speaking to parapolitika.gr believes that any extension of Greece’s territorial waters could be exercised south of Crete, within the framework of ongoing discussions with Libya regarding EEZ delimitation. As he argues: “It was formulated with great clarity that this is the next step when the territorial waters extension process was completed following the agreement with Italy in the Ionian and south of the Peloponnese up to Tainaro. I suspect the next step is this, namely from Tainaro eastward south of Crete. It has strategic logic in the sense that a delimitation process is underway, or in any case opening a discussion with Libya about maritime zone delimitation. In this context, I think we can not only do this, but it may even be imperative ahead of such negotiations with Libya. It’s not a move that could disturb or undermine the approach with Turkey. Provided it’s done properly, obviously we won’t ask anyone’s permission – it’s a right exercised unilaterally – but I imagine within the diplomatic logic of the Turkey approach, Turkey could be informed. Simply informed.”
Regarding the possibility of extending territorial waters in the Aegean, Mr. Yfantis argues that while it is Greece’s unilateral right to exercise territorial waters extension, within the framework of good neighborliness it could inform Ankara. As he maintains: “The casus belli is certainly an inhibiting factor. We will not discuss territorial waters extension in the Aegean with Turkey, if we decide on it. And Turkey knows this well, which is why it threatens war. But I think that within the framework of good neighborliness, in discussions about continental shelf and EEZ delimitation, this issue can also be resolved – not through bilateral negotiation but with good faith.”
