The Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Vasilis Kikilias, referred to the provocative behavior of Turkish fishermen, illegal fishing, and violations of maritime law during his meeting with the European Commissioner responsible for Oceans and Fisheries, Kostas Kadis.

As the minister stressed: “I raised with the Commissioner the major issue for Greece regarding our fishermen and our fisheries, as well as the provocative behavior of our neighbors, the Turks, involving illegal fishing, disregard for the law of the sea, and the questioning of our sovereign rights.”

Mr. Kikilias emphasized that: “In the area of illegal fishing we are facing real problems, which we are asking—since our maritime borders are also European borders and the law of the sea applies to everyone—to be addressed accordingly. We are asking the European Union to intervene at this level. We want solutions to be given to an issue of vital importance for a very significant sector for our country, which is fisheries.”

On the other hand, regarding illegal migration, the Minister noted that with Turkey “there is cooperation and effort in order to limit migration flows,” pointing out that “in 2025 flows from the neighboring country decreased by 45%.”

For his part, Mr. Kadis presented the initiatives of the European Commission within the framework of the Ocean Pact and the strategy for the protection and sustainable management of seas, and also referred to the harmonization of fisheries control procedures in Greece. He confirmed the excellent cooperation with the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, stressing that the European Commission is at the disposal of the Greek government to support the implementation of European policies in the country.