President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling AK Party is seeking to give him the power to declare an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) extending as far as 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from Turkey ’s coast.
According to Bloomberg, Turkey is drafting legislation to give President Erdogan personal authority to unilaterally declare a 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone — covering fishing, mining, and drilling rights in the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean, where Greece and Cyprus have competing claims – or to be correct: such an extension in the Aegean Sea would include several big and smaller Greek islands, including Chios, Lesvos and the Docdecanese.
Turkey appears ready to institutionalize a new framework within its framework called “Blue Motherland” for maritime claims in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean Seas, with the AKP considering a bill that would allow Recep Tayyip Erdogan to unilaterally declare an EEZ up to 200 nautical miles
Ankara is attempting to create new data in the already fragile balances in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean, as according to information cited by Bloomberg, the ruling AKP party of Recep Tayyip Erdogan is preparing a legislative initiative that would give the Turkish president the ability to unilaterally declare an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) up to 200 nautical miles from the Turkish coast.
The legislation under development reportedly provides for authorization for Erdogan to exercise rights related to fishing, hydrocarbon extraction, drilling and the creation of marine parks even in areas with disputed status in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean.
According to the same information, Ankara’s initiative is directly linked to Turkey’s effort to respond to Greek and Cypriot claims in the energy-critical maritime zones of the Eastern Mediterranean, but also to make it clear that it does not intend to remain outside the geopolitical and energy developments in the region.
The “paradox” with the Law of the Sea
The discussion takes on particular importance as Turkey has not signed or ratified the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which provides that coastal states can declare an EEZ up to 200 nautical miles.
However, in cases where there are overlapping claims – such as in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean – bilateral agreements or international settlement are required.
Diplomatic and legal sources point out the “paradox” of the Turkish position, as Ankara invokes provisions of the Law of the Sea that it officially does not recognize.
Turkey continues to reject the basic Greek position that islands have full rights to maritime zones and continental shelf. On the contrary, it considers that the definition of the continental shelf should be based mainly on the continental coastline.
In the same context, Ankara argues that island states, such as the Republic of Cyprus, are not entitled to extensive maritime zones beyond their territorial waters. At the same time, the pseudo-state in the occupied territories is making claims to potential energy deposits off Cyprus, with the full support of Turkey.
The Treaty of Lausanne
it should be recalled that the Treaty of Lausanne Article 12 (1923) that set the boundaries of modern Turkey confirmed Greek sovereignty over Aegean islands beyond three miles from the Turkish coast, with narrow exceptions for Imbros, Tenedos, Rabbit Islands, and those under three miles.
Turkish Ambassador Yalım Eralp’s assessment aligns with the treaty text and Turkey’s decades of acceptance.
Turkey’s claims in the Aegean Sea, known as “grey zones” regarding some 16 inhabitant islets emerged publicly in the 1996 Imia/Kardak crisis.
PS Knowing that Turks cannot swim, Erdogan did not include “swimming” in the fields to be included in the new and bright EEZ. 😛
