ATHENS, Jan 18 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) — Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis announced in Parliament the plan to create a second marine national park in the Aegean Sea, rejecting Turkish claims.
He described Turkiye’s “Blue Homeland” doctrine, which claims vast economic zones, as “unacceptable” and stated that Greece now has stronger legal and diplomatic arguments, backed by European Union standards.
The measure follows the extension of Greek territorial waters from 6 to 12 nautical miles in the Ionian Sea in 2021, marking a policy of gradual assertion of its sovereign rights.
Local analysts point out that the announcement, made despite Turkiye considering such an expansion a casus belli, raises tensions in a long-standing dispute involving territorial waters, airspace, and the continental shelf.
Meanwhile, experts in international maritime law emphasize that, although the UN Convention allows for the extension of territorial waters to 12 nautical miles, Greece applies this right only partially in the Aegean Sea due to geopolitical complexities.
The dispute shows strategic competition in the eastern Mediterranean for energy resources and influence, with both countries conducting military exercises in the area. — NNN-PRENSA LATINA