The message that Greece does not accept the claims on “grey zones” and rejects the interpretation that Turkey is trying to give to the “Athens Declaration” as a “voluntary” renunciation of its sovereign rights was sent by Athens with the announcement of the two marine parks in the Ionian and Southern Cyclades.

Following environmental standards, the map of the South Cyclades marine park includes the islands of Kinaros and Levitha, as well as the rocky islets of Mavra and Glaros, which are connected to the NATURA 2000 network with Amorgos, despite the fact that these islands belong administratively to the Dodecanese. These islets are considered by Turkey to be “grey zones” and Greek sovereignty over them is directly contested.

Their inclusion in the map of the marine park was a necessary move; otherwise, it would give the impression that Greece voluntarily excludes from its action for the establishment of marine parks the areas disputed and claimed by Turkey, which would constitute an indirect acceptance of the “grey zones”.

After the marine parks, but also the notices for the permits for the exploration of the land south of Crete, Athens is moving step by step in exercising its sovereign rights, within the framework of international legality, despite the reactions and threats of Ankara.

The serious pending issue that remains is the electric interconnection of Crete with Cyprus, for which there is still no “light”, as well as the expansion of the marine parks in the Dodecanese, where the large number of islets, over which Greek sovereignty is disputed by Turkey, is concentrated.

But the marine parks episode also highlights the great distance that separates the two countries when it comes to the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean, and how Greece’s exercise of basic sovereign rights is perceived by Turkey as provocative “unilateral actions.”

The fact that the Marine Park was limited to the Southern Cyclades and the Dodecanese was left for the next stage, far from directing Ankara, which was quick to declare in a Turkish Foreign Ministry statement that the Greek move “will have no legal effect on the interrelated problems of the Aegean”, making specific reference to “geographical formations whose ownership has not been transferred to Greece by international treaties” (i.e. “green zones“).

There is talk of “closed or semi-enclosed seas, where unilateral actions should be avoided”, and recommendations are made for cooperation between coastal countries, while Greece is accused of exploiting global values, such as environmental protection, to intervene in issues related to the interconnected problems of the Aegean, such as “grey zones”. It is also predicted that Turkish plans for environmental protection in maritime areas will be announced in the coming days.

Finally, the Turkish Foreign Ministry says that the Athens Declaration on Friendly Relations and Good Neighborliness of December 7, 2023, should be respected to “adopt a sincere and comprehensive approach to solve problems on the basis of international law, equality and good neighborliness.”

The Greek Foreign Ministry, in its response, rejects the Turkish claims, stating that references to closed and semi-enclosed seas are completely unfounded. It stresses that the legal status of the Aegean is clear and Greek sovereignty in the region is clearly and definitively defined by international treaty texts. It points out that the establishment of marine parks is based purely on environmental criteria in areas under Greek sovereignty.

Athens declares that it is firmly in favour of dialogue with Turkey, to settle the only Greek-Turkish dispute, by international law: that of the delimitation of the continental shelf and EEZ between the two countries. Rejecting Turkish demands, it stressed that the “exercise of the rights deriving from Greek sovereignty is not subject to negotiation.”

The fact that Greece included Keenaro, Levitha, Mavra and Glaros in the South Cyclades marine park is a first test of Turkey’s intentions, as these islets have a crucial role in shaping the framework of a future negotiation on the delimitation of the continental shelf/EEZ. They are located in the centre of the Aegean Sea and lie east of the 25th meridian, which is a constant pursuit of Turkish claims to Turkish maritime jurisdiction zones.

Of course, as long as there is no action on the territory of the islets and environmental intervention is limited to banning fishing activities around the islands, the possibility of a heated confrontation in the marine parks is more remote.

Turkey fully challenges Greece’s exercise of its sovereign rights, citing alleged “unilateral actions”, thus referring to its own interpretation of the Athens Declaration, which spoke of “avoiding unilateral actions”.

Turkey, as has been demonstrated in recent months, is demanding that the country completely refrain from exercising its sovereign rights.

The next period will test the endurance of the Greek-Turkish rapprochement process, as Turkey’s announcement of its own marine parks in the Aegean is expected with interest. It will be shown whether it seeks tension through the inclusion of areas of Greek sovereignty and potential maritime zones.

It is no coincidence that shortly after the Turkish Foreign Ministry’s announcement, the Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency published an extensive report, heralding Turkey’s announcement of marine parks and showing the map presented by Ankara on April 16 as part of its own Maritime Spatial Planning. Anadolu quotes “people in authority” who describe the announcement of Greek marine parks as a new attempt by Greece to disrupt the status quo, and warn that: “Turkey, as it has done so far, will not accept any de facto situation that Greece may create in geographical formations with disputed status in the Aegean Sea, and any steps that may affect Turkey’s rights and interests, including changing the legal situation in the Aegean and obstructing the freedom of navigation, will not be left unanswered.”

By establishing its own Marine Parks, Turkey has options to escalate its reaction by including in them Greek rocky islets that it considers “grey zones” or marine areas belonging to their maritime zones.