Turkey’s declaration of two “national marine parks” in the northeastern Aegean and the eastern Mediterranean is not merely another episode in Greek-Turkish disputes, but, potentially, a transition to a new phase of Turkish maritime strategy—from the formulation of claims and the publication of maps to an effort at institutional and, possibly, operational implementation of those claims.
Through Presidential Decrees dated August 15, Ankara established two marine parks. The first is located in the northeastern Aegean, in the broader area between Lemnos and Samothrace. The second is being developed in the eastern Mediterranean, in the Fethiye – Kas, creating a geographical reality that essentially seeks to isolate Kastellorizo from the rest of the Greek archipelago. The issue is not primarily an environmental one. It is a matter of jurisdiction.
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The boundaries of the Turkish parks extend beyond Turkish territorial waters into international waters, while also encroaching on areas of the Greek continental shelf. Athens rightly emphasizes that a unilateral domestic act cannot alter the status of maritime zones nor create rights vis-à-vis third states. This is precisely where the key difference lies compared to the Greek marine parks, which were established within Greek territorial waters.
However, the most important question concerns what happens next. Will Turkey limit itself to the administrative designation of the parks, or will it attempt to enforce the restrictions they entail in practice? Will the Turkish authorities attempt to restrict fishing, marine scientific research, or other activities? Will Turkish coast guard vessels appear to enforce the new rules? If this happens, we will have moved from a territorial dispute to an attempt to exercise jurisdiction.
And this is where the real danger lies. These developments must also be viewed within the broader context of the “Blue Homeland.” Ankara appears to be gradually attempting to transform a geopolitical concept into an administrative and legislative framework. Maritime spatial planning, the new marine parks, and the discussion regarding relevant legislation are not necessarily isolated moves. They may constitute different components of the same strategy.
This development directly concerns the Republic of Cyprus as well. Turkey’s perception of the islands’ influence and the demarcation of maritime zones is a key element of Ankara’s claims throughout the Eastern Mediterranean. In the coming period, therefore, we must focus less on maps and more on the sea. Because the real test will begin when the map meets the ship.
