It seems likely that the “era of good feelings” between Greece and Turkey may be coming to an end, with a deterioration of bilateral relations seeming inevitable.
The decision by Ankara to unilaterally proclaim two maritime parks under its jurisdiction, in areas which are not only outside its own territorial waters but provocatively lie in areas where Greece has potential legal rights, and its objection to two of Greece’s Special Spatial Planning Frameworks (one for tourism and one for energy) mark a new three-year low in the relationship.
The two marine parks, one between the Greek islands of Samothraki and Limnos and the other around the island of Kastellorizo which separates it from Rhodes, are seen as particularly egregious. This is because Ankara may follow this arbitrary declaration with rules and regulations, including limits on fishing, navigation, and surveys in these areas.
Athens has criticized Ankara’s maneuvers, stating that Turkish criticism of the Greek Spatial Planning Framework for energy “contains a series of baseless, absolutely unacceptable claims which we reject”, adding that, following Turkey’s reaction to the Spatial Planning Framework for tourism, “this repetition … points to an obsession with revisionist positions that have no legal foundation”.
These moves by Turkey have also been accompanied by a revival of more aggressive rhetoric, with a return to claims of “gray zones” in the Aegean and areas “whose sovereignty has not been transferred to Greece through international agreements”.
Additionally, as expected, the return of sharper rhetoric by the Turkish government has also seen a surge in the number of violations of Greek airspace by Turkish warplanes and uncrewed aerial vehicles.
The Greek government is reportedly already formulating its response to Turkish attempts to impose the “Blue Homeland” doctrine in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean Sea. This includes a hardening of the Greek position on a variety of Euro-Turkish issues, including renewing its objections to Turkish participation in European defense programs and the modernization of the customs union.
A high-level meeting between Greece and Turkey, such as a possible meeting between Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September, also seems highly unlikely as a stop to high-level discussions seems almost certain
Published by Kathimerini
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