Turkey has rejected Greece's new Special Spatial Framework for Tourism, unveiled on Thursday, saying it has no legal effect on Ankara in matters related to longstanding disputes between the two countries in the Aegean.
In a statement, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli said the Greek framework includes geographical features "whose sovereignty has not been ceded to Greece under international treaties". He said the plan carried no legal consequences for Turkey in relation to what Ankara describes as the interconnected issues of the Aegean.
Environmental protection
The Turkish Foreign Ministry also argued that invoking environmental protection for political purposes would not alter Turkey's longstanding legal position.
Ankara reiterated that unilateral actions should be avoided in the Aegean and the eastern Mediterranean, describing them as enclosed or semi-enclosed seas. Citing international maritime law, it said cooperation between coastal states was encouraged, including on environmental protection.
Turkey said it remained ready to cooperate with Greece as one of the two coastal states bordering the Aegean.
The statement concluded by referring to the Athens Declaration on Friendly Relations and Good-Neighbourliness, signed on Dec. 7, 2023, saying Turkey remained committed to resolving differences on the basis of international law, equity and good neighbourly relations.
Source: CNA
