The issue of unlawful fishing by Turkish fishermen in Greek waters was raised during a meeting of Maritime Minister Vasilis Kikilias with the European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis. Credit: X / @CostasKadis
The Greek Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy demanded Friday that the EU step in the dispute with Turkey over the long-standing dispute for unlawful fishing and violations of maritime law.
The issue was raised during a meeting of Minister Vasilis Kikilias with the European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis, in Athens.
“I raised with the Commissioner a major issue for Greece, regarding our fishermen and our fishing, as well as the provocative behavior of our Turkish neighbors in practising illegal fishing, non-respect for the Maritime Law and challenging our sovereign rights,” Kikilias said.
Turkey has spoken out against Greek fishing restrictions in parts of the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean beyond Greek territorial waters, saying the bans are unlawful—a move that has further escalated tensions over maritime jurisdiction.
In April, Turkey challenged the validity of the maps published on the Greek Fisheries Control Directorate website and accused Greece of violating Turkish maritime jurisdiction.
In a statement, Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the maps show fishing bans in areas where, according to Ankara, Greece has no legal authority, and argued that the restrictions violate international law.
Greece calls on Turkey to collaborate to end unlawful fishing
In contrast with the issue of illegal immigration, where Turkey has demonstrated “effort and collaboration” that brought migration flows down by 45 percent in 2025, the picture is different in tackling unlawful fishing, Kikilias said.
“In the area of illegal fishing, we have real problems, which we ask – because our maritime borders are also European borders and maritime law applies to everyone – to be regulated accordingly,” the Greek minister stated. “We ask the European Union to intervene at this level. We want solutions to be provided to an issue of vital importance for a very important sector for our country, which is fishing,” he pointed out.
Following the meeting, EU Commissioner Kadis wrote on X that the EU is ready to support Greece “in addressing fisheries control issues, with the aim of a fair, sustainable and competitive fisheries policy.”
Turkey’s maritime claims beyond fisheries
According to a recent report from Bloomberg, the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is preparing to vote by June on the so-called Blue Homeland Law, which would formally define Turkey’s maritime jurisdiction areas and could also give domestic legal form to Ankara’s claims to maritime economic zones in the Aegean Sea and the rest of the Eastern Mediterranean.
The draft legislation reportedly states that Ankara is reviewing the legal status of islands, islets, and rock formations, which Turkey collectively refers to as “gray zones.”
These geographical features have periodically triggered tensions between Greece and Turkey for decades.
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