Türkiye rejects Greece's EU-platform maritime map as unlawful

Türkiye has issued a strong diplomatic protest against Greece for uploading an updated maritime spatial planning (MSP) map to a European Commission platform, denouncing it as an unlawful attempt to formalize claims over Turkish maritime zones. The Turkish Foreign Ministry stated that the map infringes upon Türkiye's continental shelf and jurisdiction areas in the Aegean Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean.

An Attempt to Create "Unlawful Fait Accompli"

In a statement released on X, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Oncu Keceli asserted that Greece is trying to instrumentalize the EU platform to gain acceptance for an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) it has never officially declared. "Türkiye rejects this unlawful fait accompli attempt," Keceli declared, emphasizing that such unilateral steps are contrary to established principles of international maritime law and are "doomed to fail."

Türkiye's Legal Position and Continental Shelf

The spokesperson countered the Greek move by highlighting Türkiye's own legal submissions to the United Nations. He noted that Türkiye had formally communicated the outer limits of its continental shelf in the Eastern Mediterranean to the UN in March 2020. Keceli stated that the area depicted as a Greek EEZ on the disputed map falls entirely within the boundaries of the Turkish continental shelf as previously defined by Ankara.

Contrasting Approaches to Maritime Policy

Keceli contrasted Greece's actions with what he described as Türkiye's transparent and lawful approach to maritime governance. He pointed out that Türkiye had announced its own national maritime spatial plan in April and formally notified UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of it in June, framing it as a commitment to international procedures and good governance.