Ankara: Trkiye on Saturday declared the EU’s Maritime Spatial Planning maps of the Aegean and Mediterranean seas to be ‘null and void’ with ‘no legal effect.’ ‘We will not allow the violation of Trkiye’s rights with this Planning,’ the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
According to Anadolu Agency, the Turkish Foreign Ministry stated that the EU has no authority to comment on maritime disputes between sovereign states. The ministry emphasized that the EU’s involvement in such initiatives makes it more difficult to resolve these disputes.
The statement further noted that unilateral attempts by the EU undermine efforts to find a comprehensive, just, and durable solution to the interrelated Aegean issues. The ministry underscored that problems should be solved on the basis of international law and good neighborliness.
Trkiye has repeatedly stressed that its issues with Greece, its Aegean neighbor, should be handled between the two countries, not through the EU or any third countries.