Turkey on Tuesday hit out at Greece’s plans to set aside some of the waters between the two countries for ecological sustainability, as Ankara is contesting the sovereignty of some of the maritime territory involved.
The feuding neighbors have been at loggerheads for decades over sovereignty and maritime rights in the Aegean Sea.
The Turkish foreign ministry said it would “not accept fait accompli” Athens’ decision to declare two marine parks in the Aegean and Ionian seas ahead of an oceans conference in Greece next week.
“We recommend Greece not to involve the outstanding Aegean issues, and the issues regarding the status of some islands, islets and rocks whose sovereignty has not been ceded to Greece by the international treaties, within the frame of its own agenda,” Ankara said in a statement late Tuesday.
It continued by advising “third parties, including the EU, not to become a tool for Greece’s politically motivated attempts regarding environmental programs.”
In response, Greece’s foreign ministry accused Turkey of “politicizing” environmental issues and said it “upholds the sovereignty and sovereign rights of the country within the framework of foreign policy principles.”
Greece’s first new marine park will span 11 groups of deserted islands and islets from west of the island of Milos to Nisyros, known as “the Greek Galapagos” due to their rich biodiversity. The second will encompass an area starting north of Kefalonia and ending at Kythera and Antikythera.
Despite being NATO allies and neighbors, Athens and Ankara have been at odds for decades over a number of bilateral squabbles, including quarrels over maritime boundaries, overlapping claims to their continental shelves and the long-running Cyprus dispute.
But a prompt reaction by Greece to the devastating earthquakes in Turkey in February 2023 created a new backdrop for bilateral relations, with the two sides seeking a fresh start and enjoying a period of diplomatic calm for over a year.