Greece complains to EU about Turkey: Allegations of violation

Greek Minister of Maritime Affairs Vasilis Kikilias, during a meeting in Athens with EU Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans Costas Kadis, claimed that Turkish fishermen are "engaging in illegal fishing activities" and "calling Greece's sovereign rights into question."

Kikilias stated, "I have conveyed to the Commissioner the issue of our Turkish neighbors' unlawful fishing activities, their failure to comply with maritime law, and their provocative behavior that questions our sovereign rights. We want the European Union to intervene. Greece's maritime borders are also Europe's borders."

REACTION FROM TURKEY: NULL AND VOID

While Athens has declared certain areas in the Aegean as restricted fishing zones, Ankara has reacted sharply to this practice.

In a statement released last month, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reacted to the maps and fishing regulations on the website of the Greek Fisheries Control Directorate, reporting that the maps in question violate Turkey's maritime jurisdiction in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean and are inconsistent with international law.

The statement included the following: "The unlawful restrictions imposed by Greece on fishing activities in areas and maritime spaces beyond its 6-nautical-mile territorial waters, where it has no jurisdiction, as well as in international waters, are likewise null and void for Turkey.

Turkey will not accept any unilateral and unlawful measures that may be imposed on the legitimate activities of Turkish fishermen based on international law and historical rights.

With this understanding, we remind that Turkey maintains its position that a sincere and comprehensive approach must be adopted for the resolution of problems on the basis of international law, equity, and good neighborliness, within the framework of the Athens Declaration on Friendly Relations and Good Neighborliness dated December 7, 2023."