A diplomatic protest carrying a 12-mile message

Athens is preparing for several possible escalation scenarios with Ankara after Turkey revived claims concerning the demilitarization of Greek islands and the existence of “gray zones” in the Aegean, following the agreement known as the “Shield of Achilles.” The Greek government estimates that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is seeking tension rather than a crisis for reasons related to Turkey, but it is making its own plans both diplomatically and on the ground.

One of the options in Athens’s arsenal is extending territorial waters to 12 nautical miles south of Crete. For the first time, Greece explicitly referred to that right in a firm diplomatic protest delivered last week by its embassy in Ankara to the Turkish Foreign Ministry over what Greece described as maritime parks outside international law.

The Greek diplomatic note told Turkey, “in a formal and explicit manner,” that the dispute did not affect Greece’s right to extend the territorial sea of its islands to 12 nautical miles under the Law of the Sea. Athens chose that wording not only to send a clear message, but also to establish its arguments in writing should the Greek-Turkish disputes eventually reach the International Court of Justice.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis confirmed the position at a news conference during the Thessaloniki International Fair. He said Greece retains “the inalienable right” to extend its territorial waters to 12 miles whenever and however it judges appropriate.

Athens is focusing on three potential flashpoints in the coming weeks. Greece is expected to submit presidential decrees defining uses of maritime areas under its Marine Spatial Planning. Turkey may challenge those measures in practice. Ankara is also expected to submit its “Blue Homeland” bill to parliament, potentially restricting navigation, research and fishing activities outside Turkish territorial waters. The most serious concern is Turkey’s response when construction begins on the Great Sea Interconnector linking Greece and Cyprus.

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For the issue of territorial waters, I want to remind you that in relevant diplomatic protests by the Foreign Ministry, concerning Turkey’s illegal maritime parks, it is absolutely clear that Greece retains the inalienable right to extend its territorial waters up to 12 miles whenever and however it judges appropriate.