Türkiye drafts maritime zones bill for Aegean, Estern Mediterranean

Türkiye is preparing to submit a bill to parliament that would formally define its rights over maritime zones in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean, Bloomberg reports.

The outlet said the legislation is aimed at strengthening Türkiye’s rights and formally confirming its claim to potential natural gas reserves.

Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the nationalist MHP party and an ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said any actions disregarding Türkiye’s rights would face a harsh response.

“Türkiye is not a country that seeks tension. [...] But any move ignoring its rights, maritime jurisdiction areas or the Turkish Cypriots will meet a firm response,” he noted.

The proposed legislation is expected to heighten tensions with Greece and Cyprus amid overlapping territorial claims and disputed gas fields.

Greece argues that islands should be taken into account when determining continental shelf boundaries, while Türkiye maintains that the shelf should be measured solely from the mainland.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov