Turkey Accuses Greece of Illegal Fishing Restrictions in Aegean - Threatening New Tensions

Rising tensions successful the Aegean as Turkey challenges Greece’s sportfishing rules, reviving long-standing maritime disputes.

Turkey has accused Greece of imposing unlawful sportfishing restrictions successful the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean beyond Greek territorial waters, successful a ceremonial diplomatic connection that threatens to inject caller friction into a bilateral narration that has seen cautious betterment successful caller years.

Dispute Over Maritime Jurisdiction and Fishing Rights

Turkey's Foreign Ministry said maps published connected the website of Greece's Fisheries Control Directorate picture sportfishing bans successful areas wherever Athens "does not person jurisdiction," describing the maps arsenic "invalid" and accusing Greece of drafting "imaginary maritime borders" successful regions wherever nary agreed boundaries exist.

"The amerciable restrictions imposed by Greece connected sportfishing activities beyond its 6 nautical mile territorial waters, successful areas wherever it has nary jurisdiction and successful planetary waters, are besides invalid for Turkey," the ministry said, adding that Ankara would "not judge immoderate unilateral and amerciable enactment that targets the lawful activities of Turkish fishermen."

Growing Concerns Over Renewed Tensions successful 2026

Turkey said it bases its presumption connected planetary instrumentality and what it described arsenic "historical rights," portion invoking the Athens Declaration connected Friendly Relations and Good Neighborliness signed successful December 2023 arsenic the model for resolving disputes done dialogue.

Greek authorities had been anticipating a emergence successful tensions with Turkey successful 2026, with Ankara showing signs of accrued assertiveness crossed aggregate fronts successful the Aegean.

Greek officials person specifically flagged expected increases successful violations by Turkish sportfishing vessels, which person a past of incursions into Greek territorial waters.

The quality implicit maritime jurisdiction successful the Aegean is 1 of the astir enduring points of contention betwixt the 2 NATO allies, who disagree connected the grade of continental support rights, airspace boundaries and the presumption of Greek islands adjacent to the Turkish coast.