Turkey has submitted its own maritime map to UNESCO in response to Greece’s recently published Maritime Spatial Plan (MSP), intensifying a long-standing dispute over maritime zones in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean.
The map, prepared by Ankara University, reflects Turkey’s long-held positions and effectively splits the Aegean Sea in half. It includes large swathes of maritime zones surrounding Greek islands within what Turkey considers its own jurisdiction.
Ankara argues that islands are not entitled to exclusive economic zones (EEZs) or continental shelves beyond their 6-nautical-mile territorial seas – a stance that deviates from widely accepted interpretations of international maritime law, which Greece and most other countries uphold.
In the Eastern Mediterranean, Turkey’s proposed boundaries align with the contentious 2019 maritime accord signed with Libya, which Greece deems illegal and non-binding. The map also marks areas licensed to the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) for hydrocarbon exploration.
Greece finalized and published its national MSP in April, mapping out its maritime zones across the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean. Ankara rejected the plan, claiming it encroaches on Turkey’s maritime rights and interests in both regions.
The move comes amid renewed diplomatic friction between the NATO allies, whose maritime disputes have long stoked tensions over energy exploration, territorial waters, and airspace.