Turkey's New Maritime Draft Bill Escalates Tensions with Greece and Cyprus
Turkey has unveiled a draft maritime bill aimed at formalizing its claims in the Aegean, Eastern Mediterranean, and Black seas, significantly raising tensions with Greece and Cyprus. The legislation, prepared by Ankara University’s National Center for the Sea and Maritime Law, sets territorial waters at 12 nautical miles in the Black and Mediterranean seas while maintaining a 6-nautical-mile limit in the Aegean. It also establishes a legal framework for Turkey’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zone claims, requiring Turkish authorization for various activities in these zones. Cagri Erhan, a foreign policy adviser to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, indicated the draft would likely become law soon. This move is seen as Ankara’s response to growing energy and defense cooperation among Greece, Cyprus, and Israel, which Turkey views as an attempt to sideline its regional influence. The bill complements Turkey’s controversial 2019 maritime agreement with Libya, further complicating long-standing disputes over maritime boundaries and offshore energy rights in the region.
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