A Turkish pro-Erdogan daily newspaper has reported that Turkey plans to establish its own marine parks in the Aegean Sea, following Greece’s announcement that it will create two large marine parks to protect biodiversity and marine ecosystems.
The Daily Sabah article quotes an anonymous Turkish official as saying that Turkey’s Transportation and Infrastructure Ministry plans to put together a scheme for its own marine parks in the region, in response to Greece’s decision to establish a marine park in the Aegean.
A Turkish diplomatic source told Daily Sabah that Greece’s decision, and subsequent announcement, was viewed by Turkey as a fait accompli because Ankara was not consulted or notified in advance.
In April, during an international oceans conference in Athens, Greece shared plans to create two large marine parks as part of a 780-million-euro program to protect biodiversity and marine ecosystems.
The program includes establishing one marine park in the Aegean Sea and one in the Ionian Sea, raising the total marine protected areas to more than 30 percent of its waters.
The first will stretch across 11 groups of deserted islands and islets from west of the island of Milos to Nisyros, known as “the Greek Galapagos” because of their rich biodiversity. The second will encompass an area beginning north of Kefalonia and ending at Kythera and Antikythera.
Greece and Turkey Dispute over Marine Parks
Earlier this month, Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan said that Turkey does not view the plan as an “innocent environmental project,” but as something that may potentially breach his country’s “red line.”
“We recommend Greece not to involve the outstanding Aegean issues, and the issues regarding the status of some islands, islets, and rocks whose sovereignty has not been ceded to Greece by the international treaties, within the frame of its own agenda,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement in April.
“We will not accept the fait accompli that Greece may create on geographical features whose status is disputed,” it said.
“We would also like to advise third parties, including the EU, not to become a tool for Greece’s politically motivated attempts regarding environmental programs,” it said.
“The Turkish Foreign Ministry’s announcement politicizes a purely environmental issue. The universal challenge of environmental protection should raise awareness among governments and not be used to create impressions,” the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes in its announcement.
It adds that “the Greek government will continue to unwaveringly support its sovereignty and sovereign rights country in the framework of foreign policy principles”.
The challenge by Turkey on Greek sovereignty in the Aegean comes at a time when the two NATO allies reiterated their joint commitment to build on the existing positive momentum in their relationship.