Turkey Doubles Down on Aegean Marine Parks Greece Calls Illegal
Turkey is standing firm on two newly declared marine parks in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean, doubling down on a position Greece formally rejected as illegal under international law.
Turkish diplomatic sources confirmed Monday that the two "national marine parks," created by presidential decree on August 15, extend beyond Turkey's territorial waters. Ankara is arguing that environmental protection rules can apply to waters it claims fall within its broader maritime jurisdiction, even where no internationally recognized boundary exists.
"No legal effect whatsoever" — Greece's foreign ministry on Turkey's newly declared marine parks
Greece's foreign ministry fired back Sunday, saying the parks produce "no legal effect whatsoever" and cannot create a fait accompli. Athens says that under the Law of the Sea, no country can unilaterally declare marine protected areas outside its national jurisdiction, and that the Turkish zones illegally overlap Greece's continental shelf.
The two parks are strategically placed. One covers the Fethiye-Kas area off Turkey's southwestern coast, directly facing the Greek island of Kastellorizo. The second sits in the northern Aegean near the Gallipoli peninsula, extending toward Tekirdag and opposite northern Greece, close to the Dardanelles.
Both locations are tied to Turkey's long-standing refusal to recognize a comprehensive maritime boundary with Greece in the Aegean, a dispute that has simmered for decades. Greece points out that its own national marine parks in the Ionian and Aegean seas were established strictly within Greek territorial waters and in full compliance with international law.
Athens warned Monday that unilateral moves aimed at altering the status of maritime zones violate international law, damage bilateral relations, and undermine efforts toward mutual understanding. Greece said it would act with "consistency and determination" to defend its sovereign rights and protect high-seas freedoms under the Law of the Sea.
