Türkiye challenges Greek plans for Aegean marine park

ANKARA

Türkiye has issued a warning to its neighbor Greece, cautioning against potential tensions following Greece's announcement of plans to declare a marine park in the Aegean Sea.

The Greek Foreign Ministry revealed in a statement on April 10 its intention to unveil two new marine parks, one in the Aegean Sea and the other in the Ionian Sea, during the upcoming "Our Ocean Conference" in Athens next week.

A marine park is a designated area of the sea aimed at achieving ecological sustainability and fostering marine awareness and understanding.

Türkiye swiftly responded to the announcement, expressing concerns over Greece's motives.

"It is known that Greece has long been trying to benefit from almost every platform within the context of outstanding Aegean issues. Despite the recent positive climate in our relations, it appears that Greece is exploiting environmental issues yet again," read a statement issued by the Turkish ministry later in the day.

"We recommend Greece not to involve the outstanding Aegean issues, and the issues regarding the status of some islands, islets and rocks whose sovereignty has not been ceded to Greece by the international treaties, within the frame of its own agenda."

Ankara emphasized its stance of non-acceptance towards any actions taken by Greece that could impact the status of disputed geographical formations in the Aegean region.

The statements followed a meeting last December between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, where both leaders pledged to usher in a "new page" in bilateral relations, often strained by territorial disputes and differences in maritime boundaries.