Turkey has established two marine national parks in the Aegean Sea and the eastern Mediterranean, prompting strong reactions from Greece, reports the Brussels-based portal Eualive.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed decrees establishing the Fethiye-Kaş National Park, which, according to Greek estimates, covers a wide maritime area around the small Greek island of Kastellorizo, and the Northern Aegean National Park, which extends toward the maritime area between the Greek islands of Samothrace and Lemnos.
Both decrees refer to Turkey’s law on national parks.
The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the decrees have no legal effect outside Turkish territorial waters, that they are illegal, and that, according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), no state can unilaterally establish protected marine areas in international waters or outside its jurisdiction.
Greece established two marine national parks in 2025, which Turkey criticized as politically motivated attempts to change the status quo in the Aegean Sea.
Maritime disputes in the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean between the two NATO allies have been ongoing for a long time, involving opposing claims to resources, navigation, and jurisdiction.
The authorities of both countries present environmental protection as a legitimate goal, but each considers the declaration of a national park by the other side to carry potential implications for sovereignty.
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