Turkey has pushed back against Greece's newly enacted maritime plan for renewable energy in the Aegean, saying the framework carries no legal weight for Ankara, reasserting, also, its long-standing dispute over sovereignty in the region.
Oncu Keceli, spokesman for Turkey's Foreign Ministry, said the plan - which took effect Tuesday and designates zones where offshore wind and solar projects will be restricted - "will have no legal consequence" for Turkey regarding what he called the "interlinked" Aegean disputes between the two countries.
He specifically referenced "geographic formations whose sovereignty has not been transferred to Greece through international treaties," a reference to Turkey's long-standing claims over the legal status of certain Aegean islands and islets.
Mr. Keceli said Turkey's legal position remains unaffected by Greece's initiative or similar past measures, and called for both countries to avoid unilateral actions in enclosed or semi-enclosed seas such as the Aegean and Mediterranean.
He said international maritime law encourages cooperation between coastal states in such waters, and reiterated that Turkey, as one of the Aegean's two coastal states, remains ready to work with Greece.
Citing the 2023 Athens Declaration on Friendly Relations and Good Neighborliness, Mr. Keceli said Turkey continues to advocate for "a sincere and comprehensive approach" to resolving outstanding disputes based on international law, justice and good-neighborly relations.
Greece's Foreign Ministry has not yet issued a public response to Ankara's statement.
The exchange adds to years of recurring friction between the two NATO allies over sovereignty, airspace and maritime boundaries in the Aegean, even as both governments have periodically expressed interest in dialogue following the 2023 declaration signed by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.