Türkiye says Greece’s tourism framework carries no legal consequences for Ankara

Türkiye on Friday said Greece’s newly announced Special Spatial Framework for Tourism would have no legal consequences for Ankara regarding interconnected disputes in the Aegean Sea.

The Foreign Ministry said the framework also covers geographical formations whose sovereignty has not been transferred to Greece under international treaties.

“We once again emphasize that attempts 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,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Öncü Keçeli said in a statement on US social media platform X.

He also stressed that unilateral actions should be avoided in enclosed or semi-enclosed seas such as the Aegean and the Mediterranean.

“International maritime law encourages cooperation among coastal states in such seas, including on environmental issues,” he said.

Recalling that Türkiye is one of the two littoral states of the Aegean Sea, Keçeli said Ankara remains ready to cooperate with Greece.

He also reaffirmed Türkiye‘s commitment to the principles of the Athens Declaration on Friendly Relations and Good-Neighbourliness, signed on Dec. 7, 2023, saying Ankara continues to advocate a sincere and comprehensive approach to resolving bilateral issues on the basis of international law, equity and good-neighborly relations.