Greece plans to further extend its territorial waters, potentially including areas of the Aegean Sea, despite long-standing objections from Türkiye, Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis told parliament on Friday (16 January).
Athens and Ankara, both NATO allies, remain divided over maritime boundaries in the Aegean, a region with strategic and energy significance. Greece has previously expanded its waters in the Ionian Sea and concluded maritime agreements with Italy and Egypt, but has avoided similar moves in the Aegean.
Answering questions in parliament Gerapetritis said: “Today, our sovereignty in the Aegean Sea extends to six nautical miles. As there was an agreement with Egypt, as there was an agreement with Italy, there will also be a (further) extension of the territorial waters.”
He didn’t specify which maritime areas could be extended.
In 1995, the Turkish parliament declared a “casus belli”, or cause for war, if Greece unilaterally extended its waters beyond six nautical miles in the Aegean, a position Athens says violates international maritime law.
In July 2025, Greece also unveiled plans for two marine parks in the Ionian and Aegean seas. The proposed Aegean park would cover 9,500 sq km, initially around the southern Cyclades, prompting objections from Ankara. Athens says the only issue it is willing to discuss with Türkiye is maritime zone demarcation, including the continental shelf and exclusive economic zone.
ℹ️ Reuters
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