Greece Condemns Turkey’s Marine Park Claims as Illegal
Greece has rejected Turkey's establishment of two marine parks in disputed Aegean and Mediterranean waters, calling the move illegal under international maritime law and a violation of Greek continental shelf rights.
According to Kathimerini (EN), Ankara published two decrees in its government gazette on August 16 designating separate marine areas as national parks—one stretching between the Fethiye district of Mugla and the Kas district of Antalya in the southern Aegean, and another covering waters in the northern Aegean near the Turkish coastal provinces of Tekirdag and Canakkale.
The Greek Foreign Ministry issued a sharp rebuke on Sunday, arguing that the Turkish designations violate established maritime law by extending into international waters beyond any single nation’s jurisdiction.
Athens maintains that the newly declared parks encroach not only on high seas but also on areas of the Greek continental shelf. The Foreign Ministry dismissed the Turkish action as legally null, stating that no country has the right under the Law of the Sea to unilaterally impose marine protected areas beyond its own territorial jurisdiction.
Greek officials emphasized that Turkey’s unilateral designation cannot establish any fait accompli or undermine Greece’s rights derived from international law. The ministry drew a clear contrast with Greece’s own marine park initiatives in the Ionian and Aegean Seas, noting that those were established exclusively within Greek territorial waters in full compliance with the Law of the Sea.
The dispute marks the latest flashpoint in long-running tensions between Athens and Ankara over maritime boundaries and sovereign rights in the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean. Turkey has repeatedly challenged Greece’s interpretation of territorial waters and continental shelf delimitation in the region, pursuing what it describes as its own legitimate maritime claims.
The Greek government has made clear it will not recognize the legal validity of Turkey’s marine park declarations, viewing them as another attempt to assert control over contested waters through administrative maneuvers rather than through proper international legal channels.
With information from Kathimerini (EN)
