MARITIME SPATIAL PLANNING: THE GRECO-TURK QUESTION

 The tensions never stop between Greece and Turkey

What happened to the Declaration of Athens? The Declaration was signed in 2023 and it was advertised as a major step towards the peaceful coexistence between the two countries. It has, however served as a panacea short lived. In the space of the last two years Turkey has used the Declaration to serve its own unholy purposes. 

After the continuing maritime infringements of illegal fishing in Greek waters came the two very serious provocations during the legal explorations for cable laying in the Aegean when Turkish warships prevented the operations to take place.

The first incident took place off the coast of Kasos and the second just 6 miles north of Crete\         .

In a latest development, the two countries published their Maritime Spatial Plannings.

These are shown the following maps.

MAP 1

The planning as drawn by Greece (having paid penalties for late publishing) after direction from the E.E. using E.E. and Law of the Seas (UNCLOS) mapping and .

MAP 2

The Turkish planning using a Home Brew methodology of  Turkologic Law that only Turkey understands and implements.

With the thick red line is indicated the mid distance between the two land masses which the Turks use in their Turkologic interpretation of International Law. According to that the Islands have no continental shelf and therefore they do not take part in counting towards Sovereignty rights.

In other words any island East of the thick red line does not belong to Greece.

The reaction from the Greek government has been at best lukewarm. 

In a connected development, Greek Foreign Secretary Mr. Gerapetritis has bowed twice in front of his boss. 

Athens Declaration on Friendly and Good-Neighborly Relations

The President of the Republic of Turkey, H.E. Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic, H.E. Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis, representing their respective Governments (jointly referred to as “the Parties”), having chaired the 5th ^meeting of the Supreme Cooperation Council between the Republic of Turkey and the Hellenic Republic on 7 ^December 2023, in Athens, in a spirit of goodwill and cooperation,

PP 1. Recognizing the renewed will for cooperation between the Governments of the two countries,

PP 2. Underlining that the ties between the two neighboring nations have the potential to significantly increase the prosperity and dynamism of the region,

PP 3. Emphasizing the need to continue to work together for the benefit of both societies in a climate of friendship and mutual trust,

PP 4. Seeking to strengthen bilateral relations through existing institutional mechanisms,

PP 5. Stressing that, in order to strengthen good neighborly relations, both Parties, without prejudice to their respective legal positions, will cultivate a spirit of solidarity in the face of current and future challenges,

PP 6. Underlining that to promote this positive atmosphere and agenda, both Parties will encourage the exchange of visits at all levels with a results-oriented approach,

PP 7. Recalling that among the fundamental purposes of the Charter of the United Nations and the universally recognized principles of international law is the maintenance of international peace and friendly cooperation among States,

PP 8. Having resolved to cultivate friendly relations, mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and understanding and to settle any differences between them by peaceful means and in accordance with international law,

PP 9. Underlining the importance of effective channels and mechanisms of communication at all levels for the successful management of their bilateral relations, with particular emphasis on avoiding conflict situations and potential escalation,

PP 10 Stressing that both Parties will approach their relations with the aim of strengthening economic cooperation and deepening people-to-people ties, thereby contributing to the prosperity and peaceful coexistence of their two neighboring peoples, further stressing that to this end, in light of the significant progress achieved in advancing the positive agenda on economic and trade issues through the Joint Action Plan, the two sides will explore additional areas of cooperation,

They agreed on the following:

OP 1. The Parties agree to engage in continued constructive and substantive consultations based on the following pillars:

(a) Political Dialogue :

– on matters of mutual interest

– Exploratory/Consultative conversations

(b) Positive Agenda, within the framework of the enhanced Joint Action Plan, which includes measures of common interest in the areas of entrepreneurship-economy, tourism, transport, energy, innovation, science and technology, agriculture, environmental protection, social security and health, youth, education and sports and any other area jointly agreed upon, with the aim of achieving important and specific deliverables, rationalizing and continuously updating the agenda, in a structured manner and with new issues.

(c) Confidence-Building Measures, which include measures in the military sector that would contribute to the elimination of unjustified sources of tension, as well as the risks arising from them,

OP 2. The Parties undertake to refrain from any statement, initiative, or action that could undermine or discredit the letter and spirit of this Declaration or jeopardize the maintenance of peace and stability in their region.

OP 3. The Parties shall endeavour to resolve any dispute arising between them amicably, through direct consultations between them or by other means of mutual choice, as provided for in the Charter of the United Nations.

This Declaration does not constitute an international agreement binding on the Parties under international law. Nothing in this Declaration shall be construed as creating legal rights or obligations for the Parties.

Done at Athens, this 7th ^day of December 2023, in duplicate, each in the Turkish, Greek and English languages, all texts being equally authentic. In the event of any difference of interpretation, the English text shall prevail.