Territorial waters

Marking three years since the ratification by Parliament of the extension of Greece's territorial waters to 12 nautical miles in the Ionian Sea, Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said on Saturday that the country has grown in size, guided by the application of international law and the international law of the sea. 

Turkey's foreign minister has said there are islands in the Aegean "whose sovereignty has not been determined" and where there are "violations," in an apparent return to the questioning of Greek sovereignty over its islands in the region.

Türkiye has warned Greece once again that it will never accept extending its territorial waters to more than 6 miles in the Aegean Sea amid reports that Athens is beginning to mull over increasing its sovereign waters to up to 12 miles off Crete island in the region.

By Andreas Andrianopoulos*

This dance around the maypole of the Greek-Turkish rivalry with threats and at times more tense relations - with many foreigners, allies and others, at various times playing the role of mediators or agents for the defusion of tensions - cannot continue.

Turkish foreign ministry "strongly condemned and rejected the unfounded" statements made by the German Chancellery against Turkey.

"Instead of making biased statements that do not comply with the spirit of the Alliance, we expect Germany to invite Greece to act in accordance with international treaties," Foreign Minister Spokesperson Tanju Bilgiç said.

Turkey has criticized Greece for escalating tension in the Aegean Sea by provocative flights close to the Turkish coast, reiterating Ankara's unchanged position for a peaceful resolution to pending problems between the two neighbors.

Turkey and Greece resumed their exploratory talks after a five-year break on January 25. Resuming the talks after such a long break was received positively by many international actors as a sign of de-escalation in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Russia has urged Greece and Turkey to engage in dialogue over their maritime disputes, while recognizing the right of states to determine their territorial waters and exclusive economic zones (EEZ) under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Greece's extension of its territorial waters in the Ionian Sea does not affect the Aegean Sea, Turkey said on Jan. 20.

ISTANBUL - Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted in an announcement Wednesday that Greece's extension of its territorial waters from 6 to 12 miles does not regard the Aegean Sea and repeated the country's objections against such an extension in the Aegean.