Consistent with its revisionist policy, Turkey has proceeded to publish maps delineating marine parks in the Aegean Sea, outside Turkish territorial waters. This move was anticipated from the day after June 21, when Greece declared Marine Parks in the Ionian Sea and Aegean Sea.
Read: Turkey announces marine parks in Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean, excludes Kastellorizo
However, concern is evident in Athens, as Ankara once again demonstrates its expansionist intentions, ignoring the sovereign rights of all Greek islands, while excluding the Kastellorizo complex, incorporating it into the Blue Homeland doctrine. “Reflexive actions lacking substance jeopardize good neighborly relations between the two countries,” was the initial comment from diplomatic sources at the Foreign Ministry.
Turkey announces marine parks in Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean – what it means for Greece
Although the map did not include islets that Turkey characterizes as “gray zones,” there is no room for complacency that it won’t proceed with this later. According to Professor of International Relations Kostas Yfantis, who spoke to parapolitika.gr, “if Turkey’s publication of the maps is essentially a reaction to Greece’s move to designate Marine Parks, we might not see anything else.” Professor Yfantis notes, however, that it’s significant that while Greece included island formations that Turkey considers “gray zones,” Turkey did not react to this, “but moved where it considers a stronger legal argument, and that is regarding Kastellorizo.”
Through the Marine Parks map, Turkey repeated part of its longstanding claims that islands have no sovereign rights beyond territorial waters. As Professor Yfantis clarifies, “Turkey announced Marine Parks, reiterating its established position that Greek islands in the eastern Aegean have no rights to an EEZ or other types of environmental activities. So an issue has been raised, which however does not surprise us.”
However, Mustafa Baskara, director of the Turkish Dehukam Foundation that created the maps, in an interview with Milliyet newspaper, extended the significance of the maps, arguing that their publication is part of Turkey’s broader Maritime Spatial Planning: “These areas are not only large in size but are also located in strategically important positions. They are now under the protection of the Turkish state, without affecting freedom of navigation. The publication of the relevant maps is part of the country’s broader maritime spatial planning.”
The Turkish government has left open the possibility of announcing other Marine Park areas in the near future, keeping Athens on alert. “The issue is whether Turkey does something on the ground,” Professor Yfantis argues and explains: “That is, the problem will arise if it tries to exercise rights in areas it has delineated as Marine Parks. This is the major issue,” he maintains.
