Ankara says Greek renewables plan has no legal effect

ANKARA

Türkiye has said Greece’s new renewable energy spatial framework will have no legal consequences for Ankara in the two countries’ disputes over the Aegean Sea.

Greece’s Special Spatial Framework for Renewable Energy Sources, announced on Aug. 19, sets rules for the siting of renewable energy projects and energy-storage facilities.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Öncü Keçeli said the framework included areas in the Aegean as well as geographical formations whose sovereignty Ankara says was not ceded to Greece under international treaties.

“Such initiatives will not affect Türkiye’s legal position on Aegean issues,” Keçeli said in a statement on X.

He called for both countries to avoid unilateral measures in enclosed or semi-enclosed seas such as the Aegean and Mediterranean, noting that international maritime law encourages cooperation between coastal states in such waters.

Türkiye remains ready to cooperate with Greece as one of the Aegean’s two coastal states, he added.

Keçeli said Ankara continued to support a “sincere and comprehensive” approach to resolving disputes on the basis of international law, equity and good-neighborly relations.

He said this position was in line with the Athens Declaration on Friendly Relations and Good Neighborliness, signed by Türkiye and Greece on Dec. 7, 2023.