Ankara Objects to Greek RES Framework in Latest Provocation

Ankara has objected to Greece’s new special spatial planning framework for renewable energy sources, which has entered into force and includes provisions covering the Aegean maritime area, in yet another Turkish provocation amid a series of recent belligerence by the former over Greek initiatives concerning maritime zones and the Aegean.

Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli said the new framework, like other similar Greek initiatives, has “no legal consequence” for Turkey regarding Aegean issues. He referred to what he described as “geographical formations whose ownership has not been transferred to Greece through international agreements,” while repeating Ankara’s long-standing challenge to Greek sovereignty and maritime rights.

Keceli said such measures do not alter Turkey’s legal position on the Aegean. He also argued that unilateral actions should be avoided in enclosed or semi-enclosed seas such as the Aegean and Mediterranean and called for cooperation between coastal states in accordance with international maritime law.