The Greek Parliament has approved the draft law to increase the country's territorial waters from 6 miles to 12 miles in the Ionian Sea. Prime Minister Kiryakos Miçotakis, in his speech to the parliament before the vote, argued that Greece has the right to expand its territorial waters, and claimed that they have taken the steps on this issue in line with international law and the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The decision of Greece aims to set a precedent for demand to increase its territorial waters to 12 miles in the Aegean Sea. The Decision taken ahead of exploratory talks between Turkey and Greece which is planned to be made on January 25, shows that Greece is trying to strengthen its position at the table.
After the decision of Greek Parliament, Foreign Ministry Spokesman of Republic of Turkey Hami Aksoy said that the saving of Greece to increase its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles in the western Ionian Sea ended in the south of the Peloponnese, and that this situation did not affect the Aegean Sea in any way. Aksoy also reminded that Turkey has vital rights and interests in the semi-enclosed Aegean Sea with special geographic conditions dominated in.
