Greece is adopting a comprehensive Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) with the issuance of the National Spatial Strategy for the Marine Space (NSSMS). Ankara described it as a unilateral action violating Türkiye’s maritime jurisdiction areas in both the Aegean Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean. The Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis, speaking on media channel Skai, called the immediate reaction from Ankara “expected.”
“For the first time, our country sets the rules for the organization of its maritime space,” a statement from the Greek foreign ministry noted.
Gerapetritis called the MSP a document of vital importance for Greece’s national interests.
Commenting briefly on Türkiye’s reaction, he noted that “Türkiye’s positions are well known” and reaffirmed Greece’s commitment to dialogue.
“The act establishing the National Spatial Strategy for the Marine Space (NSSMS), which specifies and maps the country’s Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP), was issued today at the initiative of the Environment and Energy Ministry, in collaboration with the Foreign Ministry and the co-responsible ministries,” a Greek Foreign Ministry statement said.
“The approach followed in the preparation of the NSSMS has often combined conflicting social, economic, energy and environmental parameters, to serve a series of interrelated objectives, such as the climate resilience of the marine environment, sustainable tourism development, the protection of our cultural heritage and in particular underwater antiquities, the improvement and protection of maritime transport, the exploitation of the country’s energy resources, fish farming and the strengthening of cross-border projects of common interest,” the statement added.
This marks a significant strategic milestone in the country’s spatial planning, as for the first time, the Greek State defines detailed uses of its maritime zones, implementing the obligation deriving from Directive 2014/89/EU and exercising the rights stemming from International Law, according to the Greek Environment and Energy Ministry.
Türkiye has strongly reacted to the Maritime Spatial Plan declared by Greece.
In a statement on Wednesday, Türkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that some of the areas specified in the Maritime Spatial Plan (MSP) declared by Greece within the framework of EU legislation violate Türkiye’s maritime jurisdiction areas in both the Aegean Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean.
“We reiterate that Greece’s unilateral actions and claims will not have any legal consequences for Türkiye.”
In the statement, the Turkish ministry called Athens’ actions “unilateral,” and stated that Ankara “will submit its own plan to UNESCO and the relevant United Nations bodies.”
“We also recall that unilateral actions should be avoided in a closed or semi-closed sea such as the Aegean and the Mediterranean, that international maritime law encourages cooperation between coastal states in these seas, including on environmental issues, and in this regard, Türkiye is always ready to cooperate with Greece in the Aegean Sea,” the ministry said.
Türkiye also noted that the aforementioned actions will not have any legal consequences for Türkiye today or in the future.
Responding to a question about Turkey’s immediate reaction, according to which Greece’s current announcements are unilateral and do not change anything in what applies to it, the Greek Minister of Environment and Energy Stavros Papastavrou clarified that a country’s compliance with a European directive is not a unilateral action.
From its side, Türkiye said that it maintains its position that a sincere and comprehensive approach should be adopted to resolve issues on the basis of international law, equity and good neighborliness within the framework of the Athens Declaration on Friendly Relations and Good Neighborliness, dated 7 December 2023, which reflects the spirit that both parties want to uphold in Turkish-Greek relations.
Türkiye also expressed its intention to submit its own MSP to UNESCO and to the relevant bodies of the United Nations.
