Greece Rejects Aegean Co-Management with Turkey

Athens – Greece has firmly rejected any possibility of jointly managing the Aegean Sea with Turkey. Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis delivered the unequivocal message following a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, on [Date of meeting, if available].

“There is unequivocally no possibility of co-management of the Aegean Sea with Turkey, and Greece would not permit such a development,” Gerapetritis stated in a televised address. He doubled down on this position, stating that joint exploitation of the Aegean is not an option.

The meeting between the two foreign ministers comes after the Vilnius summit between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in summer 2023. While acknowledging existing tensions, both sides have expressed a desire to improve relations.

Gerapetritis indicated that potential areas of cooperation include economic development, education, tourism, immigration, and civil protection. However, he drew a clear line in the sand regarding the Aegean, a long-standing point of contention between the two countries.

According to Gerapetritis, discussions regarding maritime boundaries remain in the early stages, with significant differences in each nation’s position. He emphasized that Greece’s sole concern under international law is the delimitation of the continental shelf and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). While acknowledging Turkey’s broader concerns, the Greek Foreign Minister reiterated his country’s commitment to defining its maritime borders, stating, “We will remain in our current situation.”

This firm stance from Athens underscores the ongoing challenges in Greek-Turkish relations, even as both sides explore avenues for cooperation. The delimitation of maritime boundaries in the Aegean Sea remains a key obstacle to a full normalization of ties.