Turkey on Saturday said Greece’s new Special Spatial Planning Framework for Tourism has no legal effect on Turkey, accusing Athens of using environmental protection for political purposes.
“The Special Spatial Planning Framework for Tourism announced by Greece on Friday, which covers the Aegean Sea, will have no legal consequences for Türkiye in the context of the interconnected issues between the two countries concerning the Aegean, including geographical formations whose sovereignty has not been transferred to Greece under international treaties,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli said in a statement.
Keceli also criticized what he described as efforts to use environmental protection for political ends.
“Efforts to instrumentalize universal values such as environmental protection for political purposes are futile and will in no way affect our country’s established legal position,” he said.
The statement said unilateral actions should be avoided “in enclosed or semi-enclosed seas such as the Aegean and Mediterranean,” adding that international maritime law encourages coastal states to cooperate in such areas, including on environmental issues.
