İbrahim Kalın: Greece will have serious consequences if it expands its territorial waters

The spokesperson of Turkish President İbrahim Kalın issued new threats to Greece. As he said, in case Greece expands its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles as permitted by international law, even in Crete, will have "serious consequences".

"We will resist fiercely, we will not accept it," he said.

When asked by a journalist what Turkey's response would be if Greece expands its territorial waters in Crete, Kalın replied: "Recently, the Foreign Minister also said that any extension of more than 6 miles, not 12 miles, will face immediate objection, opposition and fierce resistance from Turkey."

"Let's make it clear. Leave 12 miles, it is not possible to accept if they extend them over 6, 7, 8 and 9 miles. And this will have serious consequences for Greece. We wait and hope that they will not resort to such a path. If they take steps in this direction, we will never leave them unanswered," he said.

Kalın added that if Greece expands the "territorial waters in Crete, our ships will leave the Mediterranean from Greek territorial waters".

"We will not accept it. It is against international law," the spokesperson added.

After the Greek Parliament adopted the UN Charter Law of the Sea in 1995, Turkey retaliated by authorising its government to take necessary steps including military action, if Greece extended its rights to 12 nm.

As per the UNCLOS, every Greek island in the Aegean generates its own continental shelf, which would mean that the Greek Continental Shelves extend to Eastern Greek islands near the Turkish Coast.

Meanwhile, Ankara contends, outside of international law, that the continental shelf border in the Aegean is the median line between the coasts of the two countries and should be determined on an equitable basis.

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