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Recent leaks about a Turkish government bill that would incorporate Ankara’s claims in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean into domestic law are being viewed as warning shots for a possible deterioration in Greek-Turkish relations.
According to Turkish sources, the maps and details of the draft legislation have not been finalized. The bill would codify longstanding Turkish positions, including claims that Ankara holds jurisdiction east of the 25th meridian in areas ranging from search and rescue to research permits in international waters, and that the Turkey-Libya maritime memorandum remains valid under international law.
Turkey, unlike Greece, has not ratified the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and is reportedly consulting on legal terminology before integrating such provisions into legislation. Greece ratified the convention in 1995. A week later, Turkey’s parliament authorized the government to treat any Greek extension of territorial waters to 12 nautical miles as a casus belli.
Some Turkish officials told foreign news agencies the latest move could raise tensions in the Aegean. Analysts said Ankara’s goal is not immediate escalation but a gradual effort to “define its own terms.” Turkish officials believe Greece has strengthened its position through maritime spatial planning, marine parks and closer alignment with NATO operations.
Ankara is also uneasy over expanding Greek-Israeli ties and defense cooperation between France and Cyprus.