Greece proposes Court of Justice if maritime dialogue with Turkey fails

ATHENS-Reuters

Greece’s Prime Minister said in remarks published on Dec. 29 that if Athens and Ankara cannot solve their dispute about maritime zones in the Mediterranean they should turn to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague to settle the disagreement.

Turkey signed an accord with Libya’s internationally recognized government last month that seeks to create an exclusive economic zone from Turkey’s southern Mediterranean shore to Libya’s northeast coast.

Greece and Greek Cyprus, which have long had maritime and territorial disputes with Turkey, say the accord is void and violates the international law of the sea.

They see it as a cynical resource-grab designed to scupper the development of East Mediterranean gas and destabilize rivals.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, in an interview with weekly newspaper ‘To Vima’, said his intention is for Greece and Turkey to discuss their differences about maritime zones in the Aegean and east Mediterranean on a political and diplomatic level.

“But we should say clearly that if we can’t find a solution then we should agree that the one difference that Greece recognizes (over maritime zones) must be judged in an international body like the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in Hague.”