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Athens sharply condemned Turkey’s decision to establish two “national marine parks” in the northeast Aegean and eastern Mediterranean, with the Greek foreign ministry describing the move as illegal given that the zones extend beyond Turkish territorial waters.

The parks were established through presidential decisions dated Aug. 15 and published in Turkey’s official gazette on Sunday.

The Greek ministry said that to the extent the marine parks covers international waters and that their establishment is illegal because under the Law of the Sea no state has the right to unilaterally establish marine protected areas in areas beyond national jurisdiction.

The ministry also said the parks are illegal to the extent that they extend into a prospective Greek continental shelf in the Aegean, stressing that the Turkish decisions produce no legal effect either in international waters or with regard to Greece’s rights over its continental shelf.

Athens further made clear that Turkey’s unilateral establishment of “national” marine parks in areas beyond its jurisdiction cannot create faits accomplis or in any way affect rights deriving from international law.

Athens noted that the country has taken the initiative to establish national marine parks in the Ionian Sea and Aegean Sea in full compliance with the Law of the Sea and exclusively within Greek territorial waters.

It said actions seeking to create faits accomplis or unilaterally alter the status of maritime zones in the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean violate international law, do not contribute to strengthening good-neighborly relations and seriously undermine efforts to maintain relations based on mutual understanding between the two countries.

The ministry said Greece would continue to act consistently and decisively to protect its sovereign rights, safeguard the freedoms of the high seas as provided for under the Law of the Sea and protect the marine environment in accordance with international law.