Turkey has reignited maritime disputes in the energy-rich Eastern Mediterranean, formally challenging Greek, Cypriot, and Egyptian territorial claims in a new letter to the United Nations.
The missive from Turkish Permanent Representative Ahmet Yildiz to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly defends Ankara's expansive "Blue Homeland" doctrine.
In the letter, Mr. Yildiz criticized Greek island rights and condemned ongoing offshore drilling operations by Chevron south of Crete.
The diplomatic maneuver defends the contentious 2019 Turkey-Libya maritime memorandum—a pact Athens considers legally void. Furthermore, Mr. Yildiz rejected the 2020 exclusive economic zone agreement between Greece and Egypt, labeling the deal "illegal" and dismissing Greece's maritime boundary claims west of the 28th meridian.
Greek diplomatic sources swiftly dismissed the Turkish claims as legally baseless and recycled. Athens is currently preparing a formal UN rebuttal based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which dictates that islands possess the same continental shelf and economic zone rights as mainland territories.
The latest diplomatic salvo follows a similar UN note from Libya last May and highlights Ankara's ongoing strategy to legitimize its maritime claims.
Despite the hardened rhetoric, both Greece and Turkey continue to maintain open diplomatic channels.
Still, Athens insists that adherence to international law and the recognition of Cyprus remain non-negotiable for preserving stability in the region.