Turkey warns that it “will not accept fait accompli”, on the occasion of the Greek government’s announcement on the creation of marine parks in the Ionian and Aegean Seas.
According to what was reported in an announcement by the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Greek government will announce the immediate institutionalization of two large, national marine parks. These are two parks, in the Ionian and the Aegean, which will be among the largest in the Mediterranean. For their surveillance, a state-of-the-art monitoring system will be used, with drones, radar, satellites and boats, in real time. For the implementation of these initiatives, resources will be allocated from the Recovery and Resilience Fund. In addition, the role of the Natural Environment and Climate Change Organization (OFYPECA) will be institutionally strengthened, while the cooperation of the authorities with the Coast Guard will be immediate. The ultimate goal is to expand Marine Protected Areas so that they cover 30% of our seas, while by 2030 10% of our seas will not be allowed commercial fishing.
This announcement provoked the reaction of Turkey, which in its announcement “regarding the Marine Park that Greece will announce in the Aegean” notes: “In its statement, the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Greece will declare two new Marine Parks, one in the Aegean and the other in the Ionian Sea, during the “Our Ocean Conference” that will take place in Athens on April 16-17, 2024.
Regarding the Marine Park to be Announced by Greece in the Aegean Sea pic.twitter.com/cLBq4GDlxG
— Turkish MFA (@MFATurkiye) April 9, 2024
It is known that Greece has long been trying to take advantage of almost every platform in the context of the pending issues of the Aegean. Despite the recent positive climate in our relations, it seems that Greece is once once more exploiting environmental issues.
We recommend that Greece not involve the pending issues of the Aegean and the issues regarding the status of certain islands, islets and rocks, whose sovereignty has not been assigned to Greece by international treaties, in the context of its own agenda.
We would also like to advise third parties, including the EU, not to become instrumental in Greece’s politically motivated efforts regarding environmental programs.
On the other hand, we would like to remind that international maritime law encourages cooperation, including on environmental issues, between coastal states in enclosed or semi-enclosed seas, and in this context, Turkey is always ready to cooperate with Greece in Aegean Sea.
We would like to take this opportunity to point out that we will not accept the fait accompli that Greece can create on geographical features whose status is disputed.
In this regard, we reiterate that the Marine Parks in question will not have any legal consequences in the context of the issues between the two countries in the Aegean Sea.”
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