Greece's Territorial Waters Expansion in Aegean: A Potential Flashpoint with Turkey

Greece plans to expand its territorial waters, including in the Aegean Sea. This may lead to conflict with Turkey, which has threatened war over such actions. Despite eased tensions, disagreements over maritime boundaries persist, particularly regarding energy potential and airspace implications in the region.

In a move that threatens to reignite tensions with Turkey, Greece is considering expanding its territorial waters in the Aegean Sea, as revealed by Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis on Friday. The expansion comes despite historical tensions and Turkey's declared stance against such unilateral actions by Athens.

Greece has already successfully extended its territorial waters in the Ionian Sea from six to twelve nautical miles after agreements with Italy and Egypt. However, similar moves in the Aegean have historically faced strong opposition from Ankara, which views them as potential provocations.

Turkey issued a warning of war back in 1995 if Greece were to expand its maritime reach in the Aegean past six nautical miles. The potential extensions and Greece's proposal of new marine parks have once again raised diplomatic stakes, necessitating careful negotiations to prevent escalation.