Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis warned on Thursday that any unilateral attempt to implement maritime claims outside the framework of international law “is essentially bound to fail,” responding to reports that Turkey is preparing legislation linked to its so-called “Blue Homeland” doctrine.
Speaking on Thursday at the Energy Transition Summit organized by the Financial Times and Kathimerini, Gerapetritis said measures should be addressed through bilateral or multilateral processes, adding that, otherwise, they “are only of domestic use and have no international enforcement.”
He stressed that international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), must prevail over “domestic intentions or visions,” noting that although Turkey has not ratified UNCLOS, its provisions form part of customary international law and are binding on all states.
Gerapetritis said Greece prefers “to act rather than react,” adding that Athens has multiple diplomatic avenues through the European Union, the United Nations and bilateral channels to address any disputes.
He emphasized that Greece has made “significant improvements” in relations with Turkey over the past three years, citing a reduction in Greek airspace violations and a sharp decline in irregular migrant arrivals. However, he acknowledged that the delimitation of maritime zones, particularly the continental shelf and exclusive economic zones (EEZs), remains the core unresolved issue.
