Turkey's state news agency Anadolu published a map this week showing two new "national marine parks" declared by preside...

Turkey's state news agency Anadolu published a map this week showing two new "national marine parks" declared by presidential decree on August 16, signed by Erdogan. The parks frame areas Greece considers its own sovereign maritime space, and Athens is pushing back hard. The first park covers 2.17 million hectares around the Fethiye-Kaş region. The second, called the Northern Aegean National Marine Park, covers 174,214 hectares and encircles waters between Lemnos and Samothrace, with a protected zone also drawn around Kastellorizo. Greece's Foreign Ministry responded immediately, stating that Turkey declaring "national marine parks" beyond its own territorial waters produces no legal effect and cannot create facts on the ground. The ministry made clear the move has no standing under international law. The Turkish declarations came roughly five weeks after Greece itself announced marine parks in the South Aegean and Ionian on July 21, 2025. Analysts see Ankara's move as a direct counter, designed to project Turkish jurisdiction over disputed areas of the Aegean. Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis addressed the situation Monday in an interview on Open TV. He said Greece is "vigilant but not worried," adding that the government has the power to enforce its national interests in any arena. He confirmed that Athens formally notified all European authorities of Turkey's provocations last week, and said formal diplomatic steps and official positions at the EU Foreign Affairs Council would follow in the coming days. Greece has already escalated the dispute to EU level, with Gerapetritis personally briefing European counterparts. Turkey's move to publish the map through Anadolu signals Ankara wants maximum international visibility for its claims. #Greece #Turkey #Aegean