Dendias Post on 5-Year Anniversary of Territorial Waters Extension in Ionian

Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias’ post on X referring to the five-year anniversary of Parliament’s ratification of an extension of territorial waters from six to 12 nautical miles in the Ionian Sea generated a heated response by the deputy chairman of Turkey’s main opposition CHP party.

Yanki Bagcioglu, who covers defense policies for Turkey’s once formidable secularist party and is a retired high-ranking naval officer, per his biography, first said Athens’ recent signaling that it will extend territorial waters in the Aegean come with “a manner contrary to international law.”

In his post, Dendias underlined that “Greece has made it clear that it reserves the right to extend its territorial waters to other areas of its territory.”

Under provisions of the UN Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) states, including island possessions, have right to extend territorial waters up to 12 nautical miles.