Greece to Turkey on Aegean Spatial Plan: 'Sovereignty Regime is Absolutely Clear'

Greece's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has firmly rejected Turkey's assertions concerning its new spatial plan for renewable energy sources, calling them "baseless, absolutely unacceptable, and dismissible." This marks the second such Turkish reaction in just 12 days, following Ankara's recent statements on Greece's spatial plan for tourism.

Athens characterizes Turkey's stance as an "obsession with revisionist positions" lacking any legal basis. The Greek Foreign Ministry emphasized that the sovereignty regime in the Aegean is "absolutely clear and definitively determined by international treaties." It warned that any different approach would contravene international law and be treated accordingly. Greece reiterated its commitment to dialogue and good neighborly relations with Turkey.

The ministry highlighted that the only Greco-Turkish dispute it recognizes concerns the delimitation of the continental shelf and the Exclusive Economic Zone, strictly in accordance with international law. Ankara had expressed its opposition to Greece's new spatial plan for renewable energy, which includes the maritime space of the Aegean Sea, stating it has "no legal consequence" for Turkey regarding Aegean issues. Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli claimed the plan, like other Greek initiatives, does not alter Turkey's legal position in the Aegean.

Keceli also pointed to the need for cooperation between coastal states in enclosed or semi-enclosed seas like the Aegean and Mediterranean, according to international maritime law. He stated that Turkey, as a coastal state, is ready to cooperate with Greece, advocating for a "sincere and comprehensive" approach to bilateral issues based on international law, equality, and good neighborliness. Ankara referenced the Athens Declaration on Friendly Relations and Good Neighborliness, signed on December 7, 2023.