Turkey’s defense ministry said on Thursday that Ankara has issued a maritime notice (NAVTEX) requiring Greece to coordinate with Ankara on all research activities in parts of the Aegean Sea that Turkey considers part of its continental shelf.
Turkey recently issued a NAVTEX, a legal advisory message to mariners, outlining objections to Greece’s activities in the Aegean Sea that Ankara says violate international law and demanding that it coordinate these. It is the first time Turkey issued the notice without an expiration date. The sides’ previous advisories were temporary in response to their respective activities in the region.
Analysts point to the extended NAVTEX validity as a strategic attempt to shape perceptions over time. More specifically, they argue that Turkey aims to normalize the idea that maritime areas east of the 25th meridian, a line that roughly divides the Aegean in half, fall under Turkish jurisdiction.
Greece responds to move
The Greek government views Ankara’s latest NAVTEX as yet another example of Turkey’s “broader tactic of abusing maritime notices to project groundless claims in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean to an international audience.” According to government sources, this practice undermines the proper functioning of the NAVTEX system and compromises the safety of mariners.
Official sources clarify that a NAVTEX is a technical tool reserved for specific events, such as military exercises, that pose a potential risk to navigation. “International law does not recognize a NAVTEX that covers vast areas for an indefinite period without being tied to a specific event,” sources noted. “Consequently, the Turkish notice is entirely illegal and lacks any legal foundation.”
In response, Greece has filed formal protests and reported the incident to the Chair of the relevant IMO (International Maritime Organization) committee. This illegal practice was also explicitly noted in the European Commission’s 2024 report on Turkey. Athens maintains that it will continue to exercise its sovereign rights, undeterred by such “erratic and unlawful actions.”
Turkey’s indefinite NAVTEX could fuel tensions with Greece
The move comes days before the meeting between the leaders of Greece and Turkey in Ankara. Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan confirmed the plan publicly and said both sides want to meet soon, with the Aegean expected to remain a key issue on the agenda. This could lead to the fueling of tensions between NATO allies, as they seek energy resources in the Eastern Mediterranean and impact operations by vessels of companies operating in the area.
Earlier this month, Greece’s foreign minister said its government had plans to extend its territorial waters further, including potentially in the Aegean Sea. In 1995, the Turkish parliament declared a “casus belli,” or cause for war, if Greece unilaterally extended its waters beyond six nautical miles in the Aegean, a position Athens says violates international maritime law.
Greece says the only issue it is prepared to discuss with Turkey is the demarcation of their maritime zones, including continental shelves and exclusive economic zones.