Turkey Sends Diplomatic Note to Greece Over Aegean Dispute
Turkey sent a diplomatic note to Greece objecting to Aegean spatial-planning measures, warning it will not tolerate actions altering the status quo and rejecting unilateral Greek territorial claims.
The note warns that Ankara will not tolerate any activity designed to alter the status quo in the Aegean, diplomatic sources told the Turkish newspaper Milliyet.
Turkish authorities claim Greece’s spatial-planning initiatives carry transboundary and environmental implications, and assert that using environmental planning as cover for maximalist territorial claims is unacceptable.
Turkey Rejects Unilateral Greek Measures
The diplomatic communication makes clear that Turkey does not recognize any consequences stemming from unilateral Greek actions, stating that Ankara’s rights, interests and the existing legal framework remain unaffected by Athens’ planned steps.
The note further invokes international law, arguing that it encourages cooperation in enclosed and semi-enclosed seas.
According to the Milliyet report, Turkey explicitly rejects any effort to create de facto situations over geographical formations in the Aegean whose sovereignty has not been transferred to Greece through international treaties.
Ankara Pushes Bilateral Approach
The Turkish government reiterated its longstanding position that maritime boundaries in the Aegean can only be established through bilateral agreement based on equity and consideration of all relevant circumstances.
The diplomatic note represents the latest escalation in ongoing tensions between Athens and Ankara over territorial rights, maritime jurisdiction and sovereign claims in the contested Aegean region.
With information from Kathimerini (EN)
