Two weeks before the Greek-Turkish high ranking meeting in Istanbul with the participation of the political leadership of the two neighbor countries, tension flamed over the continental shelf in the Aegean Sea. Just hours after Athens submitted a complaint to United Nations over Turkey’s exploration permits in areas of the Greek continental shelf, Ankara issued a statement claiming the Greek position had no basis on international sea law.
Below the Press release of Turkish Foreign Ministry:
Press Release Regarding the Declaration of Greece to the United Nations
“It has been learned that Greece has registered its views at the United Nations (UN) concerning the Greek continental shelf in the context of the permits granted by Turkey to the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) in our continental shelf in the Eastern Mediterranean. The said claims of Greece have no basis in international law.
“As a matter of fact, Greece has expressed such claims through its demarches at bilateral level, and Turkey has given necessary responses to them. This time, Turkey will take the reciprocal steps also at the UN.The permits granted by Turkey to TPAO since 2007 remain within the limits of the Turkish continental shelf in the Eastern Mediterranean and Turkey possesses sovereign rights for exploration and extraction of the natural resources in these areas. Turkey will continue to use its rights emanating from international law.
While necessary steps will be taken for the protection of our sovereign rights, our policy of continuing to develop our relations with Greece and of utilizing the channels of dialogue established to solve the existing problems will be maintained.” (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
PS In this way, the two neighboring countries set the agenda of the talks beginning of March … That’s diplomacy 🙂
