Ankara rejects Greece's marine park maps in Aegean
ANKARA
Türkiye has reiterated that the marine parks declared by Greece in the Aegean Sea would not have any legal consequences, urging its neighbor to refrain from unilateral actions.
Greek declaration of the marine parks will have no “legal consequences in the context of the interrelated Aegean issues between the two countries, including certain geographical features whose sovereignty is not ceded to Greece by international treaties,” a statement from the Foreign Ministry said on July 21.
“Unilateral actions should be avoided in closed or semi-enclosed seas such as the Aegean and the Mediterranean. International maritime law encourages cooperation, including environmental issues, between coastal states in closed or semi-enclosed seas,” read the statement.
“In this context, we reiterate that Türkiye remains ready to cooperate with Greece, as one of the two coastal states in the Aegean Sea."
According to the statement, Türkiye will announce its projects for protection of the environment in its marine areas in the coming days.
“Türkiye maintains its position that a sincere and comprehensive approach should be adopted to resolve issues," the ministry said.
The approaches should be based on "international law, equity and good neighborliness within the framework of the Athens Declaration on Friendly Relations and Good Neighborliness, dated Dec. 7, 2023, which prioritizes dialogue and cooperation and reflects the spirit that both parties want to uphold in Turkish-Greek relations," it added.
