Google Button Μake us preferred on Google

By presidential decree signed by Recep Tayyip Erdogan and published in Turkey’s Official Gazette on August 16, Turkey established its first national marine parks: the Fethiye-Kas Marine Park, covering 2,170,603 hectares, and the North Aegean Marine Park, covering 174,214 hectares.

Turkey’s Anadolu Agency published the accompanying map, citing experts who argue the move reflects the importance Turkey places on protecting the environment, both in its territorial waters and in the maritime zones under its jurisdiction beyond them.

Where the Two Parks Sit, and the Setup Around Kastellorizo

The geographic layout of the two zones reveals Ankara’s targeting:

  1. Fethiye-Kas (Eastern Mediterranean): This zone stretches between Fethiye (Mugla province) and Kas (Antalya province). Its boundaries effectively enclose, and exclude, nearly the entire maritime area around the Greek island of Kastellorizo, beyond Turkey’s 6 nautical mile territorial waters.
  2. North Aegean: This zone runs near the Turkish coasts of Tekirdag and Canakkale, covering maritime space geographically situated between the Greek islands of Samothrace and Lemnos.

Athens Responds, Foreign Ministry Reacts

Turkey’s move is a direct response to the marine parks Greece declared in the South Aegean and Ionian Sea on July 21, 2025.

Greece’s Foreign Ministry reacted immediately, stating officially that Turkey’s unilateral declaration of “national marine parks” in areas beyond Turkish territorial waters produces no legal effect and cannot create facts on the ground.

Gerapetritis to To Vima: “We’re Ready for Any Scenario”

Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis struck the same note in an interview with the latest print edition of ΤΟ ΒΗΜΑ on Sunday. Greece’s top diplomat sent a firm message to Ankara, stressing that Greece is fully ready for any scenario and that the era of passive diplomatic inaction is over for good.

Addressing Turkey’s marine park announcement, Gerapetritis made clear that a policy of “calm waters” doesn’t mean any retreat whatsoever from Greece’s national positions, adding that Athens has already alerted European authorities to Turkey’s unlawful actions. We stay alert but we’re not worried, he said, noting that the designation of Greece’s own marine parks is proceeding normally under international maritime law, with the expected implementing presidential decrees to follow.